Tag: 2025 season

It doesn’t sound like the Saints are moving on from Derek Carr in 2025

It doesn’t sound like the Saints are moving on from Derek Carr in 2025. ESPN reports the team’s salary cap constraints won’t allow it:

Dennis Allen won’t be returning to the New Orleans Saints in 2025, but the quarterback he recruited appears to be here to stay. ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared some insight on what’s in the plans for the black and gold, and it doesn’t sound like Derek Carr will be leaving the team after a couple of rough seasons.

Derek Carr’s contract and this spring’s planned restructure, combined with the Saints’ tight salary cap situation, mean there may not be much appetite in letting him go.

“Because this team is so strapped against the cap, Derek Carr is in line to be back next year. They don’t have a lot of flexibility, he makes the most sense, and it certainly looks like he could be back next season even though he is inactive tonight,” Schefter said.

Carr missed Monday night’s game with the Green Bay Packers after fracturing a bone in his non-throwing hand diving for a first down a few weeks back, and it’s unlikely he’ll be able to suit up again in 2024. But it isn’t expected to linger into 2025, and based off what he’s heard Schefter expects Carr to remain under center in New Orleans.

That wouldn’t be a popular move for a Saints fanbase that has pretty publicly expressed frustration with Carr’s play; he made some strides with Klint Kubiak replacing Pete Carmichael at offensive coordinator, averaging the second-best touchdown rate and passer rating of his career. But he’s clocked just 214.5 passing yards per game, the second-lowest pace of his career. They haven’t won many games because of him.

And Schefter has a point about the cap implications of offloading Carr’s contract. Odds are he won’t agree to waive his no-trade clause, and cutting him would double the dead money the Saints already have on the books for 2025 — and that $48.4 million figure for Marshon Lattimore, Michael Thomas, and Jameis Winston already leads the league. It would be incredibly difficult to make competitive offers in free agency with $100 million tied up in money for players not on the team.

So Carr will likely be back in 2025. So will Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. But who would a new head coach be starting? Carr would be a highly-paid backup, and agreeing to start him because of that may be a stipulation for a new coach. That could turn off some attractive coaching candidates, but crazier things have happened in the NFL. Stay tuned to see how this all unfolds.

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Cowboys know where they’ll finish in NFC East; watching other division races for ’25 opponents

From @ToddBrock24f7: Dallas will finish 3rd in the NFC East. That starts to bring their 2025 schedule of opponents into focus.

The math has finally caught up with the Dallas Cowboys. Even if they win their final three contests, they know there will be no playoff berth coming at the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.

But Washington’s come-from-behind win over Philadelphia not only left the NFC East crown in play for both of those squads, it also cemented the Cowboys’ divisional standing.

They’ll finish third in the NFC East, no matter what happens over their final three contests.

And that information, while understandably depressing for Cowboys fans who came into the 2024 season with high hopes, does help firm up the slate of opponents the team will face in 2025.

Somewhat.

As usual, Dallas will play its annual two-game series with Philadelphia, Washington, and the New York Giants, with one game at home and one game on the road.

Per the NFL’s pre-determined divisional rotation, the Cowboys will also square off against all four teams in both the NFC North and the AFC West. Green Bay, Minnesota, Kansas City, and the Chargers will come to Arlington. The Cowboys will travel to play Chicago, Detroit, Denver, and Las Vegas.

But with the third-place spot in the East now locked up, the Cowboys now know they’ll line up against the third-place finishers in the NFC West, NFC South, and the AFC East in 2025.

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While the standings in those divisions are still fluid, ESPN has projected those teams to be, respectively: the 49ers, the Saints, and the Jets.

Dallas will host the NFC West opponent, while the NFC South and AFC East matchups are slated to be road games.

Though Cowboys fans know their place in the final standings is set, they should be keeping an eye on these three other divisions as they start to turn their hopes to 2025.

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Chris Olave’s star college teammate may become available this offseason

Garrett Wilson could become open for trade this offseason. Reuniting New Orleans Saints wideout Chris Olave with his Ohio State running mate would be dynamic:

The New Orleans Saints are stuck with Derek Carr’s contract for at least another season, so the team could try and get the most out of him as possible before blowing the roster up.

Could they try to add more weapons this offseason to open up the offense even more? One surprising move could be available to them: pairing star wideout Chris Olave with his elite running mate from college for a young duo out wide.

Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, people close to New York Jets star receiver Garrett Wilson believe that he could request a trade this offseason.

“They think that he will ask for a trade after the season,” Cimini said on the Flight Deck podcast. He admitted that it was speculation, but it does make sense.

The Jets are just 4-10 this season and are going through a lot of internal issues right now. New York took Wilson’s star status away after trading for Davante Adams to appease Aaron Rodgers. It doesn’t take a lot to wonder why the receiver might be unhappy.

Adding him to the Saints offense, to be back with his friend Olave, would certainly open up Carr’s options in the passing game. Wilson has 262 catches over his first three seasons with 933 yards with six touchdowns this year alone.

Having him work the route tree while Olave stretched the field worked well in college, so New Orleans should at least think about pairing them together once again.

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Alabama player makes USA TODAY Sports’ list of early 2025 Heisman Trophy favorites

Check out which Alabama player made the list of way-too-early Heisman Trophy favorites for 2025.

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter took home the 2024 Heisman Trophy over the weekend,

Could an Alabama football player be in line to win next year’s award? In their way-too-early look at 2025 Heisman Trophy favorites, USA TODAY Sports listed a household name to watch for: Crimson Tide freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams.

Williams joined fellow freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith of the Ohio State Buckeyes on USA TODAY Sports’ list.

Austin Curtright of USA TODAY said of Williams:

“(T)he former 5-star recruit who played the entirety of the 2024 season at 17 years old, was one of the best receivers in the country in his first season at Alabama.

“Williams caught 45 passes for 857 yards with eight touchdowns in 2024 and should build upon his performance for what should be his actual freshman season, as he graduated high school early to play for the Crimson Tide.”

Williams’ coming-out party was in the Crimson Tide’s thrilling 41-34 win over the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 28. He caught six passes for 177 yards, including an electric 75-yard touchdown with 2:18 left that put Alabama back on top after Georgia had rallied from a 28-0 deficit in the second quarter.

Williams and Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown were recently named to the 2024 SEC All-Freshman team.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Alabama news and notes, plus opinions. 

How Bill Belichick leaving NFL for UNC impacts Saints’ 2025 coach search

Longtime Patriots head coach Bill Belichick moves on from the NFL to become the head coach at North Carolina. How does it impact the Saints?

The NFL landscape has changed many different times over the years, but Bill Belichick was a staple of that landscape, coaching in the league from 1975 with the Baltimore Colts to leaving as head coach of the New England Patriots in 2023. Now, he is pursuing a new career in college football, as he will be moving on to become the head coach at North Carolina.

This is a completely different position from where he was in the NFL, as college has become a completely new landscape under the new regulations, NIL additions, and transfer portal capabilities in recent years, which makes this signing an intriguing one.

The New Orleans Saints are one of the teams who will be looking for a new head coach at the end of the season, and despite Darren Rizzi having a 3-1 start so far, who knows what the front office will do come off-season time? Bill Belichick was likely not one of those candidates, however, as Seth Wickersham of ESPN listed several teams that may have been potential options before:

“Belichick insisted to the Falcons and made clear to other teams with openings last year that he wasn’t seeking the total control of football operations he enjoyed for most of his head coaching career, both in Cleveland and in New England. He was willing to work with existing staff, whether it was Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot or Commanders general manager Adam Peters or Jerry Jones or Howie Roseman, if the Cowboys or Eagles, respectively, had decided to change coaches.”

Instead, one more experienced head coaching candidates comes off the board, which leaves the NFL with less options, and therefore the Saints with fewer targets as teams will begin their yearly scramble to hire the best ones as soon as possible.

We will find out who the Saints end up with eventually, whether than be Rizzi, a different internal candidate, or an external candidate, but whoever they choose, it will not be Bill Belichick.

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How do Derek Carr’s $30M injury guarantees impact Saints’ decision?

Derek Carr is due an extra $30 million in guarantees if he can’t pass a physical in March. How does that impact the Saints’ decision to keep playing him?

We’ve learned some more details on Derek Carr’s new injury. The New Orleans Saints starting quarterback fractured a bone in his non-throwing hand leaping for a first down late in Sunday’s win against the New York Giants, and while it won’t land him on injured reserve, he’s going to be a week-to-week decision, according to interim head coach Darren Rizzi.

But there are longer concerns at play here. If Carr can’t pass a physical by March 17, an additional $30 million becomes guaranteed on his contract.

That’s already the case anyway, as far as Carr’s performance and the salary cap are concerned. The difference is, if he suffers a serious injury and won’t be able to pass that physical upon reporting for the offseason program, the Saints would be on the hook for the $30 million in 2025. If he’s healthy, they have an off-ramp, should they choose to use it. They could say he wasn’t meeting expectations or salary cap constraints forced their hand. Carr’s 2025 salary cap hit is set at $51.4 million, but they could designate him as a post-June 1 cut, let him go by March 17, and get that $30 million back in savings on June 2 — after free agency and the draft have passed them by.

So right now, that isn’t a real factor in their decision. If the Saints choose to ask Carr to play through injury, they could risk another more-significant injury that would impact him in the longer view. That would jeopardize the $30 million tied up as injury guarantees. If they choose to shut him down instead and not risk it, they’d be following a pattern established by other teams. That’s why the Las Vegas Raiders made Carr a healthy scratch to close out his career, and why the New York Giants benched Daniel Jones before cutting him at his request.

However, this all hinges on the idea that the Saints don’t plan on paying that $30 million anyway. Their next head coach should ultimately decide whether or not to keep Carr. It’s also possible that decision has already been made and working with Carr could be a mandate from ownership or management. Restructuring his contract again would fold the $30 million into another signing bonus that’s paid out over future years, which would be the easiest path forward if they’re determined to keep building around him.

But at that point we’re speculating too much. For now the Saints don’t appear to be concerned about Carr’s long-term projection, and the injury he’s currently dealing with should be well behind him come March. It’s just something to keep an eye on if they do choose to put him into another game or four this year.

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Report: Mickey Loomis ‘has a good chance’ to return as Saints GM in 2025

ESPN reports Mickey Loomis ‘has a good chance’ to return as Saints general manager in 2025. He’s already the longest-tenured GM in the league:

Mickey Loomis has just about run out of goodwill with New Orleans Saints fans. Between a playoff drought stretching into its fourth season, a dead-end head coaching hire in Dennis Allen, a series of condescending media appearances, and the decision to move training camp out of state and closed to fans, there haven’t been many moves made by his front office that fans can be proud of.

Plenty of fans have taken to social media calling for Loomis to step down from his post. But it doesn’t sound like that’s in the cards. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that sources around the league don’t expect big shakeup at the top of the Saints’ organization:

The early belief among league insiders is that Mickey Loomis has a good chance to remain as Saints general manager. That’s not 100%, but that’s what people in the know on these sorts of things are predicting. The Saints have traditionally valued connectivity/familiarity, which could be a factor in the interview process (for a new head coach).

It’s not like the Saints don’t have alternatives in the building. Khai Harley, their salary cap expert and vice president of football operations who owns the assistant GM title, has spent years working under Loomis to get the most out of every dollar. Jeff Ireland, also named an assistant GM and vice president of college personnel, is just one of the former general managers in the front office. The players he’s scouted in the draft have gone on to find pro success (frustratingly, too often after the Saints’ coaching staff failed to help them). Other executives and front office personnel like Michael Parenton, Dave Ziegler, and Randy Mueller either have experience leading an organization or are seen as rising stars who could do so.

The point of all this? If continuity to their success five, ten, or fifteen years ago is so important to the Saints, they can maintain that without stubbornly sticking to Loomis. He’s the longest-tenured general manager in the league but he doesn’t have the recent success to show for it. Ultimately the decision is up to Gayle Benson, who has often deferred to Loomis on football decisions. Things could change over the next month, but as it currently stands we should expect Loomis to continue calling the shots in New Orleans.

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Saints coach search: Do they meet Ben Johnson’s requirements?

It’s been reported that Lions OC Ben Johnson has two requirements for any head coaching vacancy he’ll consider. Do the Saints qualify?

Ben Johnson is projected to be the leading candidate in the head coaching cycle this year. He’s been a name thrown around for a couple of years, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has reported Johnson’s approach to head coaching vacancies this year.

If Johnson is interviewing, he fully plans on taking the job. This means any team sits down with Johnson has a good chance to land him. In the past, coaches have interviewed just to gather information on the job.

Johnson also a pair of criteria for any vacancy. Do the New Orleans Saints meet those requirements?

Breer reports Johnson is looking for “Organizational alignment — in particular between the GM and the head coach. And then he’ll be looking for recognition from the organization of the things that have gone wrong, and a willingness to fix them.”

Organizational alignment won’t be determined until he gets in the room, and it’s difficult from the outside looking in. As for the second criteria, will New Orleans recognize what went wrong.

There are a couple of ways to look at this. Mickey Loomis has made comments to make you wonder if he actually sees the downfall of the Dennis Allen era or if firing Allen was just something that had to happen.

On the other hand, the Saints fired their head coach in the middle of the year and let go of Pete Carmichael. The last year has been filled with making the necessary moves. This could be a sign to Johnson of the Saints’ ability to recognize and course correct.

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Saints ranked as one of the least-attractive head coach openings

Bleacher Report argues the New Orleans Saints have one of the least-attractive head coach openings after firing Dennis Allen:

The Chicago Bears fired Matt Eberflus after one of the most disappointing end of game sequences you’ll ever see. He may have been on the way out regardless, but it may have expedited the process.

This makes Chicago the third vacancy created this season. The New York Jets and New Orleans Saints moved on from Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen earlier this year.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox took those three teams and added the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants.

From there, Knox ranked those teams based on attractiveness. The only team less attractive than the Saints was the Jets. What separated the Big Easy from the Big Apple? The Jets have been a revolving door at head coach. Meanwhile, Sean Payton was a long-term coach in New Orleans.

Granted, that’s what happens when you hire a good coach, but we’ll take anything that keeps the Saints out of last.

What keeps them from being higher? They don’t have a quarterback to carry them into the future. The roster as a whole is viewed as average beyond a few foundational pieces. There’s enough to build around here, but maybe not enough resources to build with, and the Saints may struggle to attract the top candidates on the market come hiring season.

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49ers All-Pro predicted to cut ties with San Francisco, join Saints

49ers All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga was predicted to cut ties with San Francisco and join the New Orleans Saints in 2025 free agency:

Never say never, but it could be tough for the New Orleans Saints to rationalize some big moves in 2025 free agency. Between needing a new head coach and the salary cap costs of past decisions, they might be better served sitting out another spending cycle to get their books in order.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t sign any new faces. And if they do go after a blue-chip player in free agency, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has a great fit in mind. Knox argues San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga could be just what the Saints defense has been missing:

The Saints—who tapped into the San Francisco pipeline with edge-rusher Chase Young and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this offseason—could be very interested if Hufanga is available.

“The Saints could use some safety help and Tyrann Mathieu could be another cap casualty this offseason,” Holder wrote.

New Orleans, however, will have to free up a lot of cap space to pursue any marquee free agent. The Saints are projected to be $77 million over the 2025 cap.

The Colts should also be interested in adding a playmaker like Hufanga. Nick Cross has been a tackling machine in Indy this season but has too often been a liability in coverage. Hufanga’s ball skills and versatility would make him a great addition to the Colts’ secondary.

Injuries have limited Hufanga to a dozen games through 2023 and 2024, though he’s expected to return later this season. The 2022 All-Pro makes plays all over the field with 7 interceptions, 14 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 2 sacks to go with 189 combined tackles (7 tackles for loss). But while he could be a viable replacement for Mathieu as a roving defender who can line up at any depth, he’s played his best football hanging back over the top of the defense. They could coexist.

Still, getting out from under tens of millions of dollars in negative salary cap space will be a challenge. The Saints will need to accomplish that before they can begin looking for help on the free agent market. But when you look at the players they have added recently like Chase Young, Khalen Saunders, and Willie Gay Jr., Hufanga fits the bill as an obviously talented playmaker with a bit of an injury history. Maybe he ends up in New Orleans after all.

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