Everyone uses a little bit of exaggerated and colorful language. The point is that last season Penning struggled in 6 starts and Carr did get an injury that nagged him the rest of the season. Also, although Carr refused to miss games, he had 2 concussions and a nagging shoulder injury last year where perhaps he would have missed games. To me, if Penning was a turnstile this year and we played him anyway, the odds of Carr getting injured could be pretty high, if not 100%. If the oline was worse and Carr increased from 2 concussions last year to 3-4 in 2024 that alone might end his career. Also we saw at least two older QBs have season ending injuries last year early on in Rodgers and Cousins. Both of them had been relatively healthy before, just like Carr. So if Penning was a turnstile, it just could not be that crazy for Carr to suffer a similar fate to what two of his closest veteran QB piers did just last year. Rodgers contract was the closest to Carrs among veteran QBs switching teams in 2023, and Cousins was the closest 2024 transaction to those two, so if two of three can suffer major ACL type injuries out of the blue after years of health, the risk to Carr is real if our oline is a sieve.

Another key difference is that Carr could have a $30 million financial incentive to get injured if he struggles too much this year. If he struggles, he would stand to be cut, and have diminished value as a free agent two teams have given up on, more of a Russ Wilson or Ryan Tannehill type option. But if he got hurt, his salary guarantees right at the start of the league year, and he could not be cut while hurt, so it could be tempting to 'rehab slow.' Last year Carr's upcoming salary was already guaranteed so there was no big financial incentive either way. I hope our oline is decent because I worry both that a weak oline could get Carr injury and cause him to struggle in a way that might tempt him to stay injured. This may sound wacky and far fetched but this exact line of thought was what caused the Raiders to bench Carr and the Broncos to bench Wilson, fear of triggering guarantees in big QB contracts with injury is a real topic on every GMs mind.

Bullcrap, Bako. LOL! Carr would never be tempted to stay injured. Man, your are really reaching now. Wacky is putting it mildly.

Lets say Carr’s season is a mixed bag and expectations are the Saints may cut him or ask him to take a pay cut. Then supposed that in the 12/15/24 game he sustains an injury that is diagnosed on 12/17 as requiring a surgery with a a 12 week estimated recovery time. If Carr has surgery immediately, spends xmas in a hospital, skips new years and valentines to rehab, and is highly dedicated to his physical therapy with no breaks he still wont get to play any more games during the year, but he may be able to pass a physical by 3/17/25, 12 weeks and 6 days later, in order to allow himself to potentially be cut and lose $30 million. However, if he gets a second opinion, has the procedure on 1/3/25 after holidays with family, and does a lot of physical therapy but takes a few days off for family, he can pass the physical in April before the draft and lock in $30 million guaranteed when he cant be cut on 3/17/25. What would anyone do? This is not a matter of character its a matter of putting family first and making smart decisions. And its part of why Carr and Wilson sat the last few games with their former teams.

Lets say Carr’s season is a mixed bag and expectations are the Saints may cut him or ask him to take a pay cut. Then supposed that in the 12/15/24 game he sustains an injury that is diagnosed on 12/17 as requiring a surgery with a a 12 week estimated recovery time. If Carr has surgery immediately, spends xmas in a hospital, skips new years and valentines to rehab, and is highly dedicated to his physical therapy with no breaks he still wont get to play any more games during the year, but he may be able to pass a physical by 3/17/25, 12 weeks and 6 days later, in order to allow himself to potentially be cut and lose $30 million. However, if he gets a second opinion, has the procedure on 1/3/25 after holidays with family, and does a lot of physical therapy but takes a few days off for family, he can pass the physical in April before the draft and lock in $30 million guaranteed when he cant be cut on 3/17/25. What would anyone do? This is not a matter of character its a matter of putting family first and making smart decisions. And its part of why Carr and Wilson sat the last few games with their former teams.

I can guarantee if at any point the Saints decide Carr will either need to do a pay reduction or get cut, he will be put on the bench and not heard from again in 2024.

If that didn't happen under Carmichael's putrid playcalling I cannot envision any scenario under which it would happen this season with improved weapons and play design under Kubiak.

Kubiak could be the exact reason it happens, he may feel the offense is better off with Haener or Rattler operating it, and with the way the schedule starts for the Saints a 1-5 or 0-6 start could expedite a change.

If that didn't happen under Carmichael's putrid playcalling I cannot envision any scenario under which it would happen this season with improved weapons and play design under Kubiak.

Whats different this year are the contractual circumstances. In 2023 Carr’s 2024 salary was already fully guaranteed whether cut, injured, or active. In 2024 Carr’s 2025 salary is not guaranteed but it guarantees very early in the 2025 league year on 3/17/2025 so if the Saints decide to move on, they cant afford a late season injury that could prevent Carr from passing a physical on that date. In 2025 Carr’s 2026 salary is neither guaranteed in advance nor does it guarantee until week 1, so even if Carr was injured in 2025 he could still be cut as long as he can pass a physical in August/September which is way different than March. So the late 2024 season and early following offseason is a key year in the contract where the Saints can save money if they move on quick but not if any small injury causes delay. Essentially its much riskier to play Carr in late 2024 than late 2023 or late 2025.

Coaches don't give a flying rat's ass about contracts.