Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Derek Carr has two eyebrow-raising clauses in the 2025 section of his Saints contract, a fully guaranteed $10 million roster bonus and the balance of his $30 million salary being fully guaranteed when the NFL’s league year kicks off on March 12. Could those clauses combined with the team’s current spiral lead the Saints to consider trading Carr prior to the Nov. 5 league deadline?

ESPN insider Dan Graziano would not be surprised. As the Saints (2-5) prepare for a road game against the Chargers (3-3) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX), getting rookie Spencer Rattler ready to make his third straight start, general manager Mickey Loomis could weigh the implications of moving on now compared to later.

“This of course assumes the Saints would even want to move on from Carr, which I must emphasize I do not know,” Graziano wrote on Wednesday. “But they’ve lost five in a row after a 2-0 start, have major age and salary cap issues on their roster moving forward and could potentially be resetting with a new coaching staff if things don’t turn around.”

What is turning around is the health of the team. Returning to practice this week were Chris Olave, Taysom Hill, Peter Werner and key offensive linemen Lucas Patrick and Cesar Ruiz. Loomis told beat writer Katherine Terrell this week that the Saints’ injury “avalanche” is a hurdle they need to overcome.

Carr has yet to overcome the oblique injury that’s sidelined him the past two games and kept him out of practice this week. Head coach Dennis Allen said the quarterback’s absence isn’t pain related but more the result of limited functionality.

Rattler (47 of 75, 415 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) has been inconsistent over his first two NFL starts behind a patchwork offensive line, including a turnstile at center. The return of Patrick and Ruiz could give the rookie more time in the pocket.

Loomis this week signed cornerstone running back Alvin Kamara to a contract extension, taking him off the 2025 free-agent market. What’s more, to further address a lack of salary-cap space in future years, the Saints appear to have drafted a solid class that includes Rattler, starting tackle Taliese Fuaga and wide receiver Bub Means, who played well in place of Olave over the last two games.


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By Zak Gilbert

Since his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Zak has worked 30 years in sports, including 18 NFL seasons. He's spent time with four NFL teams, serving as head of communications for both the Raiders and Browns. A veteran of nine Super Bowls, he most recently worked six seasons in the NFL's New York league office.

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