Saints could be barreling toward Arch Manning derby after Derek Carr retirement shocker
The Derek Carr-less Saints might be barreling toward an awkward quarterback decision between a loyal son of their city and a loyal son of one of their coaches.
Carr's surprise retirement Saturday leaves the Saints with three young quarterbacks — rookie Tyler Shough, second-year pro Spencer Rattler and third-year pro Jake Haener – battling to start.
Advertisement
Rattler and Haener are a combined 0-7 as starters.
It's possible that Shough – a 25-year-old second-round pick who reportedly was the top quarterback on some NFL teams' boards during the 2025 draft — finds immediate success like rookies Jayden Daniels (Commanders) and C.J. Stroud (Texans) have in recent years.
It's also possible that Shough struggles and the Saints become strong contenders for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
4 New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement on Saturday.
AP
Advertisement
And that would be very interesting because it could lead to a choice between quarterbacks Arch Manning of Texas and Garrett Nussmeier of LSU.
Manning is the grandson of Saints legend Archie Manning, a New Orleans native and a graduate of the city's famed Isidore Newman School that also produced his uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning.
Archie remains the last first-round quarterback drafted by the Saints (1971).
Advertisement
The thought in football circles is that — like Peyton and Eli — Arch will spend at least four years in college, which would put him in the 2027 draft class instead of 2026.
After all, NIL opportunities balance financial-earning opportunities and Arch still only has two career starts under his belt.
4 Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns reacts after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies 17-7 at Kyle Field on November 30, 2024 in College Station, Texas.
Getty Images
Advertisement
But the allure of playing for the hometown Saints might be hard for the family to resist if everything lined up perfectly on both ends.
Then again, Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier figures to have a say in the quarterback of the future.
4 Archie Manning during his Saints tenure.
Getty Images
And Nussmeier would figure to be partial to his son Garrett, who also is a common top-10 pick in way-too-early mock drafts.
Nussmeier could have entered the 2025 draft after leading the SEC in completions and attempts while passing for 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first year starting in place of Daniels.
But he chose to return to LSU and solidify his draft standing.
4 Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier of the LSU Tigers in action against the Baylor Bears in the Kinder's Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on December 31, 2024 in Houston, Texas
University Images via Getty Imag
Asked by The Post during Super Bowl week about the possibility of coaching with or against his son in the NFL, Doug Nussmeier said that his mind had not gone there yet but that he would 'always be a resource' for his son.
Advertisement
Doug highlighted responding to adversity as one of Garrett's biggest strengths.
'That's a big part of being successful at the position,' he said. 'The higher you go, the harder it is. Every day is not going to be great. You have to stay neutral. You have to realize that when you think you are on top, you are going to get brought down really quick. When you think you are on the bottom, put your nose down and fight your way and you'll be just fine.'
Carr, 34, retired rather than undergoing shoulder surgery to repair a labrum tear and damage to his rotator cuff that likely would have sidelined him for the full season and left his career in doubt anyway.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
12 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Jets' Josh Reynolds says he's 'blessed' to be playing after rough year that included being shot
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Josh Reynolds has had plenty of time to reflect on how tumultuous his life was last year — on and off the field. The failed stint with Denver. A hand injury that landed him on injured reserve. The bullet wounds on his head and arm from an early morning shooting . His comeback from his injuries. His brief stay in Jacksonville.
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Jets' Josh Reynolds says he's 'blessed' to be playing after rough year that included being shot
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Josh Reynolds has had plenty of time to reflect on how tumultuous his life was last year — on and off the field. The failed stint with Denver. A hand injury that landed him on injured reserve. The bullet wounds on his head and arm from an early morning shooting. His comeback from his injuries. His brief stay in Jacksonville. The New York Jets wide receiver would rather keep that all in the past now and focus on his new opportunity. 'I'm blessed, you know?' Reynolds said Tuesday after practice during organized team activities. 'I'm blessed to be here, blessed to still be playing. So, I'm going to take it one day at a time and continue to get better.' At 30, Reynolds is one of the Jets' oldest players after New York's new regime under general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn focused on revamping the roster and infusing youth. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who turns 36 in August, is the team's oldest player, followed by long snapper Thomas Hennessy, who turns 31 next Wednesday, and then Reynolds. Garrett Wilson is the Jets' No. 1 wide receiver, but the team is looking for a complementary No. 2 — and Reynolds is in that mix, along with Allen Lazard, Tyler Johnson, Xavier Gipson, Malachi Corley and rookie Arian Smith, among others. 'I'm here for whatever they need me for,' Reynolds said. 'If it's (No.) 2, if it's (No.) 3, I mean, I'm here to help the team win.' The fact he's even here now, though, is in many ways a victory in itself. Reynolds, a fourth-round pick by the Rams out of Texas A&M in 2017, signed last offseason with Denver — where Mougey was the assistant GM — and caught 12 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown in five games before being placed on injured reserve with a broken finger. On Oct. 18, while still healing from that injury, Reynolds was shot in the left arm and the back of the head — injuries later classified as minor — after he left a strip club in Glendale, Colorado, at about 2:45 a.m. Reynolds said he and two other men were followed into and then out of the club before shots were fired into their SUV. Reynolds worked his way back onto the football field, but was waived by Denver in December before playing another game. He was claimed by Jacksonville and caught one pass in four games before being released in March. 'Yeah, life is precious, for sure,' said Reynolds, who has spoken very little about the shooting or the ups and downs of last season. 'But the more you've got to think about it, the more you're just kind of reliving it. And so I've moved past it, I'm here in Jersey and ready to get going.' The Jets signed Reynolds three weeks after he was cut by the Jaguars, giving him a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. Aside from Mougey's familiarity with Reynolds, Glenn also knew the wide receiver from his two-plus seasons in Detroit from 2021-23 when Glenn was the Lions' defensive coordinator. 'I care about good players, so, if he is a good player, I want him in the locker room,' Glenn said. 'If I knew him or not, that doesn't matter to me. The fact of the matter is he is a good player and I think he has a lot left in the tank. I want him in the locker room. Plus, he's a good person.' Reynolds also knows Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who was the Lions' passing game coordinator during his last two seasons in Detroit. That gives Reynolds a bit of an edge in quickly picking up New York's system, which he said is 'pretty similar' to what he saw with the Lions, but with some 'twists and stuff' that Engstrand has installed. 'Honestly, I thought it was going to be a little harder, but, no, once I kind of heard and seen these plays, I was like, oh yeah, the memories started flooding back in,' Reynolds said. 'A lot of it is just more being able to kind of do it as soon as you hear it.' — AP NFL:
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cade Klubnik Shifts His Attention to $275 Million NFL QB After Studying Patrick Mahomes
Cade Klubnik Shifts His Attention to $275 Million NFL QB After Studying Patrick Mahomes originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes experienced varying levels of team success when they played college football, but there were few doubts that both quarterbacks were ticketed for NFL stardom from a young age. Advertisement Though Mahomes had a losing record in three years at Texas Tech, he threw for 5,052 yards and accounted for 53 total touchdowns in his final season as a Red Raider in 2016. On the other hand, Burrow was richly rewarded for his stellar two-year tenure at LSU. Upon transferring from Ohio State, Burrow led the Tigers to a 15-0 record and a national championship in 2019, throwing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. Burrow is now the Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback, a two-time Pro Bowler on a $275 million contract. The 28-year-old is lauded for his mechanics and his ability to make any throw -- he led the NFL in pass attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes in 2024. Clemson star Cade Klubnik, who shares quarterback coach Jordan Palmer with Burrow is hoping to become the first Tiger ever to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025. And he has made it a point to study Burrow in an attempt to reach that objective. Advertisement "His ability to escape the pocket but remain a passer is something that I feel I can do pretty well," Klubnik told On3. "A lot of the same fundamentals that Jordan teaches us, (Burrow) does it very, very elite. I love to watch somebody who's better than me." Klubnik also admitted to studying Mahomes and his calm, steady pocket presence, and he also had a surprise for reporters when he said he had been watching Bailey Zappe's 2021 season at Western Kentucky. Zappe, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, threw for an FBS record 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns in his one season as a Hilltopper. "Last year, I studied senior year of Bailey Zappe, because he he had a great year. I wanted to improve my presence in the pocket, anticipation and just delivery. So I studied him," Klubnik explained. "I studied just the calmness and coolness of Patrick Mahomes in the pocket. So (I studied) those two guys, because that's something we want to get better at." Klubnik, touted as a possible top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is hoping that absorbing different qualities from elite quarterbacks will make him even better following his breakout 2024 season. If his bet pays off, Clemson could be celebrating more than just another College Football Playoff berth in 2025. Advertisement Related: Dabo Swinney Flaunts Clemson Achievements Amid Changing College Football Landscape This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
