Derek Carr Retirement Impact + 2025 QB Rankings
How does the QB landscape for redraft fantasy football shape up like now with the news that Derek Carr has retired?
The NFL world was hit with a bit of a bombshell on Saturday morning with the news that New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr is officially retiring from the league.
He’s been banged up plenty throughout his NFL career and his availability for this season was up in the air, so this is a move that makes sense for him and his family. However, what does it all now mean for the Saints from a fantasy standpoint?
How about what this means for the QB landscape?
Let’s break it all down here.
Derek Carr Fantasy Fallout
Let’s not pretend that the Saints were a top-tier offense last season when Carr was on the field. While they came out on fire to begin the year, the wheels fell off shortly afterwards and Carr ultimately missed significant time with his shoulder injury.
Now, the New Orleans QB room looks a bit lackluster on paper. Spencer Rattler will battle with Jake Haener and new addition - via the 2025 NFL Draft - Tyler Shough.
Shough is far from a perfect QB prospect. However, the investment in him with a second-round pick signals that he’s likely to get the first crack at being the starting option.
After evaluating the tape, it’s hard to have confidence in much with this offense from a fantasy standpoint heading into this season.
Alvin Kamara should benefit from plenty of dump-off passes close to the line of scrimmage for a rookie QB that will be struggling to keep up with NFL defenses after playing at Oregon, Texas Tech, and Louisville.
Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed - when they both are medically cleared to play - thrive on deep downfield passes. How many of those types of looks are they going to get week in and week out?
Additionally, touchdowns may be hard to come by, which means garbage time production is likely their best path to fantasy relevance. That’s not a place that I love to be at with my fantasy wideouts.
Juwan Johnson was handed a substantial contract in the offseason and he’s likely to be one of the main targets for Shough given his proximity to the line of scrimmage, plus the familiarity given their time overlapping at the University of Oregon in 2019 (yes, you read that correctly).
Overall, Kamara may be the only player whose value didn’t change with the news that Carr won’t be returning at all in 2025. He’s nothing more than a mid-range RB2, but he’ll still provide a very high floor for your fantasy unit week after week.
First Look: 2025 QB Redraft Rankings
1) Josh Allen, BUF
2) Lamar Jackson, BAL
3) Jayden Daniels, WAS
4) Joe Burrow, CIN
5) Jalen Hurts, PHI
6) Baker Mayfield, TB
7) Patrick Mahomes II, KC
8) Kyler Murray, ARI
9) Bo Nix, DEN
10) Jared Goff, DET
11) Caleb Williams, CHI
12) Brock Purdy, SF
13) Justin Herbert, LAC
14) Justin Fields, NYJ
15) Jordan Love, GB
16) Drake Maye, NE
17) C.J. Stroud, HOU
18) Dak Prescott, DAL
19) Trevor Lawrence, JAC
20) Bryce Young, CAR
21) Tua Tagovailoa, MIA
22) Matthew Stafford, LAR
23) Michael Penix Jr., ATL
24) J.J. McCarthy, MIN
25) Geno Smith, LV
26) Cameron Ward, TEN
27) Sam Darnold, SEA
28) Anthony Richardson Sr., IND
29) Russell Wilson, NYG
30) Jaxson Dart, NYG
31) Tyler Shough, NO
32) Shedeur Sanders, CLE
33) Jalen Milroe, SEA
34) Aaron Rodgers, FA
35) Joe Flacco, CLE
36) Daniel Jones, IND
37) Mason Rudolph, PIT
38) Jameis Winston, NYG
39) Will Levis, TEN
40) Aidan O'Connell, LV
41) Dillon Gabriel, CLE
42) Spencer Rattler, NO
43) Kirk Cousins, ATL
44) Joe Milton III, DAL
45) Zach Wilson, MIA
46) Malik Willis, GB
47) Gardner Minshew II, KC
48) Mac Jones, SF
49) Andy Dalton, CAR
50) Tyson Bagent, CHI
51) Marcus Mariota, WAS
52) Joshua Dobbs, NE
53) Cooper Rush, BAL
54) Tyrod Taylor, NYJ
55) Hendon Hooker, DET
56) Jarrett Stidham, DEN
57) Jake Browning, CIN
58) Nick Mullens, JAC
59) Will Howard, PIT
60) Quinn Ewers, MIA
61) Kyle Trask, FA
62) Davis Mills, HOU
63) Tanner McKee, PHI
64) Jimmy Garoppolo, LAR
65) Mitchell Trubisky, BUF
66) Jacoby Brissett, ARI
67) Drew Lock, SEA
68) Jake Haener, NO
69) Riley Leonard, IND
70) Deshaun Watson, CLE