The Derek Carr era is over in New Orleans after only two seasons in the Big Easy. Carr has decided he will hang up the spikes for good at the age of 34 while playing 11 seasons in the NFL with the Raiders and Saints. Carr suffered a labral tear in his right shoulder which is his throwing arm, last season. Medical scans have shown he has degenerative changes in his rotator cuff which will need surgery to repair. Everything can heal on its own which will have a longer timetable. If Carr did have surgery, he would definitely miss the entire 2025 season. Instead he will forfeit 30 million in earnings in the contract and walk away from the game for good.

Derek Carr was drafted by the Oakland Raiders back in the 2014 NFL draft from Fresno State University in the second round. He played for the Raiders in Oakland and when they moved to Las Vegas for 9 seasons. In 2023 the Raiders head coach was Josh McDaniel,s the former Patriots disciple who should have never landed a second gig as a leader of a football franchise. McDaniels benched Carr. Things escalated as Carr would then not waive his no trade clause and eventually be released. Carr signed with the New Orleans Saints who were looking for their next QB to lead this franchise. Since Drew Brees retired, they have fallen on hard times. Carr made 4 Pro-Bowls. In his first ten years in the league, he played 15 or more games per season. He had some years he hovered around the top 10 quarterbacks in the league. Overall he may have been a middle of the pack QB his entire career. He only played in one post-season game in his career and was on the losing end of the wild card game in 2022 with the Raiders. Carr played for six different head coaches throughout his career of which two of them were interim. He had 5 offensive coordinators when he wore silver and black. With the gold and black uniforms in two seasons, he had 2 different offensive coordinators and two different head coaches. If Carr came back this season, he would have had three different head coaches in New Orleans as the Saints hired Kellen Moore during the off-season.

Last year the Saints were 0-7 without Derek Carr as the starter. Carr had an even 5-5 record in 10 games before his season ended. He completed 67.7% of his passes and tallied up 2,145 passing yards with 15 touchdown passes along with 5 interceptions. In New Orleans he leaves the Big Easy with a winning record in 27 games he did start, he went 14-13. I thought when Carr did sign with New Orleans, they had the best shot at winning the crappy NFC South division the last two seasons. His first season in New Orleans he had the Saints close, but at the end they could not march across the finish line. In 11 years Carr would have a losing record playing in 169 NFL games. He had a record of 77-92 as a starter. His completion rating was 65.1% as he tallied up 41,245 passing yards. Threw 257 touchdown passes with 112 interceptions. His two best seasons were in 2015 & ’16. In 2015 he had his career high with 32 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. In 2016 his record as the starter was 12-3 and the Raiders looked like they were going to go deep into the post-season. Carr had 28 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions in 15 games. The Raiders would make post-season and Carr would not play because he suffered a season ending injury close to the end of regular season. The Raiders would be one and done that year in post season.

Derek Carr’s brother was drafted in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft by the Houston Texans from Fresno State University. David played 10 seasons in the NFL with Texans, Giants, Panthers, and 49ers. His career started in 2002 and ended in 2012 as he played in 94 games. David was a first round bust. His rookie season he set the record for most sacks in one season by a QB in his first year. He went 23-56 as a starter and tallied up 14,452 passing yards. He threw for 65 touchdown passes compared to 71 interceptions. Derek most definitely had a better career than his brother David. I remember David put in a ton of time helping his younger brother be the better NFL quarterback.

The New Orleans Saints did draft a quarterback this season a few weeks back. In the second round at number 40, they selected Tyler Shough from Louisville. In 2024 the Saints drafted Spencer Rattler. In 2023 the Saints drafted Jack Haener. Shough was most likely hand-picked by the team’s new head coach Kellen Moore. Look for Shough to be the guy unless they land some veteran quarterback in a trade or pick one up as a free agent. Drew Brees was not drafted by the Saints. The Saints’ best QB they have drafted, you have to go back to 1971 when they drafted Archie Manning. Archie never got the Saints to post-season. Bobby Hebert was the first ever Saints quarterback to guide the Saints to the playoffs back in 1987.

Hebert played in the USFL with the Michigan Panthers and Oakland Invaders before going to the NFL where he signed with the Saints in 1985. The Saints’ best teams in history never developed a franchise QB. Now it’s time they do that. They have a new head coach. They have a slew of young QB’s to mold. Derek Carr unfortunately was not going to bring this Saints team all the way to the Superbowl. Playoffs at best. It did not happen. This current Saints team should gut this team that is in salary cap hell the last few years. Getting Carr off the books is a start. It would not take the Saints long to catch up to all the other teams in the division if they cleaned house and let the young guys get the experience while growing as a team. Who knows? Maybe one of the guys they have at QB will be the answer. If not, next year’s crop of QBs is much better. I did like Carr as a QB for both the Raiders and Saints. He was not going to be the next Mathew Stafford by going to another team and winning the Superbowl type of veteran. He had a nice career and was stuck in the middle of the pack his entire career which is not a bad thing as many guys can’t even start one game in the NFL.

The New York Giants still have not found their quarterback solution after Eli Manning hung up the spikes for good a few seasons ago. The Giants have the number three pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft which is not as loaded at the quarterback position like it was at the 2024 draft. The current Head Coach for the G-Men, Brain Daboll, and the General Manager’s jobs are hanging by a thread. As they are on the hot seat right now. After not being able to develop Daniel Jones a quarterback they inherited when they arrived in the big apple, would this regime get the extra time they need to develop a rookie QB? The Giants loaded up on veteran quarterback free agents this off-season in hopes one of them will pay out. It would seem the Giants would pass on picking up a QB in the first round as the quarterback room is filled right now. You never know until the draft what they will do as the Giants and Shedeur Sanders have shown mutual interest in each other. Sanders has one final work out scheduled for the G-Men. Could Deon Sanders’ son be the answer for this New York franchise that is desperate right now seeing every team in their division having a guy that is the face of their franchise?

The New York Giants reside in the NFC East which had two teams that made it to the post-season. The Philadelphia Eagles won the Superbowl with the last laugh on the Giants for signing Saquon Barkley, who was a free agent running back who ran to greener pastures. The Commanders resurrected from the dead as a football franchise by drafting Jayden Daniels number two in last year’s draft. They went deep into the post-season. The Cowboys have Dak Prescott who is a pretend franchise quarterback.The Giants are so desperate at the QB position they signed 36 year old veteran Russell Wilson who had a rebound year playing for the Steelers last year. He went 6-5 as the starter for the Steelers and started off great. He completed 63.7% of his passes and had 16 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. Only problem is the Steelers backed into the post-season on a losing streak and quickly dispatched again in the first round by their arch rival, the Ravens. Wilson was a clubhouse cancer in Denver. He’s typically your primadonna and is not the same guy from his days in Seattle where he was in the top ten of the league behind center.

Then the Giants signed the crab man, Jameis Winston, to a two year deal worth 8 million. Last year he played in Cleveland and was 2-5 in 7 games filling in for the sexual predator Deshaun Watson whose season ended with an injury. Winston had 13 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He is the King of the pick six. After making it official with the Giants, Winston thanked the fans in the Dawg Pound for having him be their QB for one season. The memories of beating the Steelers in the snow to him was epic. Yes the crab man did beat Russell Wilson. Then the Giants still have 26 year old Tommy DeVito who went 0-2 last year in two starts for the Giants. He had no touchdown passes or interceptions but completed 70.5% of his passes. He is 3-5 as a starter in the NFL with 8 touchdown passes to 3 interceptions and has a 65.3% completion percentage. DeVito signed with the Giants as an Undrafted Free Agent in 2023 and could easily be the odd man out in this Giants’ QB saga by the time the season starts. He may not be the answer as QB 1. He is a guy that has a higher ceiling to develop I think.

The Tennessee Titans have the number one pick in the 2025 NFL draft and they are expected to take the best QB in the draft, Cam Ward, from the University of Miami. The Browns have the second pick in this upcoming draft and they should go Quarterback as Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the entire season. The Browns have traded for Kenny Pickett and have brought back Joe Flacco for his second stint with the team from free agency. Can the Browns move on from Watson with that handcuffed contract he has? The Browns are expected to sign Shadeur Sanders’ University of Colorado teammate, Travis Hunter, who is a two way player as he dabbles as a receiver on offense and defense. He also plays corner back. The Browns could also get another top edge rusher in Abdul Carter from Penn State University. The guy the Browns do not take can easily be the 3rd pick in the draft. They say Sanders is the 2nd best QB in the draft, but his stock has dropped off with the draft approaching.

Shadeur Sanders did not participate at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He was there, but he did not throw the football or take part in any athletic testing. He focused on meetings with NFL teams. Last season Sanders had 4,134 passing yards with 37 touchdown passes and only 10 interceptions. The University of Colorado made it to the Alamo Bowl. In two seasons as a Buffalo, Sanders was 13-13 as a starter. His first two seasons Sanders played at Jackson State, a smaller school where he went 23-3 as a starter in hus first two years. In College Football overall, he has a 36-15 record behind center as a starter. In the Alamo Bowl he had some cleats designed with the Giants logo and colors. The Giants have had more than one time when they had their staff scouting Sanders. It sounds like a perfect marriage between the Giants and Sanders. The Giants must have Sanders’ pops approval as being one of the teams his son can play for. Neon Deon has a list of team he will not want his son to play for. You know that Prime Time wants his son to be picked in the top 5 or at least the top 10 for the best money. Brian Daboll had Daniel Jones playing better when he arrived taking the Giants job as his first head coaching gig. Jones went back to his old habits very quickly in his second year with Daboll. When Daboll was offensive coordinator in Buffalo, he did great things with the talented Josh Allen as QB. Not sure Sanders will be that guy. That quarterback. The Giants have some talented receivers for a young guy like Sanders. Does Prime Time get involved in his son’s career choices? That could spoil this pick. Plus Daboll and his staff and the GM are right now dead men walking. If they do draft Sanders, then he may have another Head Coach and different offensive scheme in year two. Not sure I like my young QB being around a loser like Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. New York is no Colorado Mountain High either. The Big Apple can eat players alive as the worm turns. Just reading about what some of the football experts are saying, there may be other QB’s that are worth a try than paying Sanders kid the big money. If I was the Giants, I would take the Edge Rusher from Penn State or the two way star from Colorado. Roll the dice that your franchise will be here again with a top pick in 2026 and hope it’s a better crop of QB’s for the taking.

The Chicago Bears are Trumping up their offensive walls to keep out the opposing defenses’ migrants. Maybe General Manager of the Bears Ryan Poles got a good fence guy recommendation from Donald Trump. The Bears pulled off a monster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to give Chicago a true pillar on an offensive line that gave up more screws than a whorehouse last season. The Bears acquire left guard Joe Thuney from the Chiefs for a 2026 4th round draft pick. Thuney has been the protector of Tom Brady back in the New England dynasty and has given protection to Patrick Mahomes for several seasons and this current Chiefs dynasty. Thuney has won 4 Superbowls in his 9 year NFL career, which 2 of them came from the Patriots and the other two the Chiefs.

Joe Thuney is 32 years of age. He was drafted by the Patriots in the 2016 NFL draft in the 3rd round 78th overall from the University of Carolina. His first 5 seasons was with the Evil Empire Patriots. His last 4 seasons he was down in Kansas City joining another hated franchise. Don’t let the age fool you as Thuney has only missed two games in his entire career. He played in all 17 games last year for the Chiefs. He has 146 games under his belt in the NFL. He is a 4x All-Pro and was selected to 3 Pro-Bowls in 9 total seasons. Last year he played 895 snaps at the left guard position. Then he was asked to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blind side at left tackle due to an injury. He played 217 snaps at left tackle. In the last two seasons he has had the highest pass block win rate of 97.8% in the entire league.

So why did the Kansas City Chiefs suddenly make Joe Thuney expendable? The Chiefs’ best offensive lineman Trey Smith recently got the franchise tag and is a guy younger than Thuney. Trading Thuney to the Bears will free up 16 million dollars off the Chiefs salary cap. Smith is only 23 years old and with a franchise tag would be paid in the neighborhood of 23.5 million which is the going rate out of your top protectors in the NFL. The Chiefs coming off their Superbowl loss will look to retool their roster but also get younger in the grand scheme of things.

For the Bears it’s simple, they have to protect their investment number one pick from last April’s draft in Caleb Williams. Williams was sacked 68 times in his rookie season which almost broke David Carr’s single rookie season he had in his first year with the Houston Texans. In 2002 Carr was sacked 76 times. This is the second move by the Chicago Bears in a matter of days. Both moves to improve their offensive line have come through trades. The first trade was with the LA Rams which landed them a 315 pound moose in Jonah Jackson, an X Detroit Lion who has ties to newly hired head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears have three free agents from last year who were fixtures on that terrible O-line they had who they will most likely let walk away instead of re-signing them.

Ben Johnson as the offensive coordinator for the last several years had success because of the guys in the trenches. The Detroit Lions had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL the last few seasons. They ran a well-balanced offense with a two-headed monster at running back that opened up the play action pass for Jared Goff. Johnson turned Goff into a serviceable quarterback that can help your team go deep into the post-season. The experts think Caleb Williams has all the star-studded tools of being a top NFL quarterback in this league. Williams now will have protection in the middle of the line in these first two moves of the off-season by the Bears landing a pair of guards. Obviously Johnson still has to work on Williams’ mechanics and help him get rid of the ball quicker to avoid those types of sacks in which Caleb found himself doing his rookie season. Now it will appear he will get that time after these two trades.

As many expected, the Ben Johnson era will be a carbon copy of what the Lions needed to do to resurrect that franchise from the dead. The Bears are now investing heavily into the offensive line as Joe Thuney will get 16 million next year as he finishes a 5 year extension he got in 2021 by the Chiefs that was worth 80 million. Rumors are swirling that Thuney may get an extension even before putting on the shoulder pads. The Bears will be paying Jonah Jackson 17.5 million who’s in his second year of a three year contract he signed with the Rams. I don’t expect either deal to be a one year try out. If the Bears don’t give Thuney the extension, they can let him ride out the end of his deal and call it a day. For Jackson the Bears could cut ties with him before next season in his final year which would not cause problems for the salary cap. I think Johnson and Ryan Poles think these two guards will be here longer than one season. For Jackson who only played 4 games last year for the Rams, it is a move right now I will question. I give Johnson the benefit of the doubt as they have connections. I do like the Thuney trade. He is older but looks like a guy that still has thread on the tires and we know he plays that way. He’s been a part of elite winning programs like the Chiefs and Patriots. I like he comes from colder climates such as Kansas City and New England, so he should feel right at home in Chicago. I like Thuney able to play either tackle or guard. The Bears may need one more guy for that O-line to get the full makeover. Now they can address that in the draft or through free agency. All of the moves the Bears have made on offense the last two seasons are for Caleb Williams. Williams will be the final piece of the puzzle if this franchise will contend for years to come. Winning the off-season does not win Superbowl titles.