BakoSaint

If Derek Carr had played 17 games in 2025, the Saints would have finished 5-12 and picked #9 overall. It would be a different world. Derek Carr's injury totally changed the course of the season.

Consider this:

The Saints beat 0 playoff teams with Derek Carr at QB. The Saints beat 0 playoff teams without Derek Carr at QB. 6 of 7 teams the Saints played while Derek Carr was out were playoff teams, who Carr showed no ability to beat either, so the Saints would still have lost those 6 games without Carr.

Derek Carr won 0 games without Alvin Kamara at RB. The Saints one loss against a non-playoff team without Carr at QB was against the Raiders. Kamara, McCoy, Hill, Olave, and Shaheed also missed that game and the Saints lost 25-10 while allowing the Raiders to run at will for 5.8 yards a carry and 115 yards for their lead backs best game of the season. Carr could not have played run defense and thrown to MVS enough to overcome a 25-10 deficit without any weapons.

Considering that Carr could not beat playoff teams and could not win without Kamara, Carr would have gone 0-7 in the games he did not play. So, Carr's injury dramatically altered the course of the Saints season from going 5-12 to going 5-12.