Reggie Bush talks about what the Saints won’t do with Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints great Reggie Bush not so sure the team will go with a quarterback at the start of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Saints clearly need a franchise quarterback long term. However, they are too low in the draft — going No. 9 — to pick one of them quarterbacks in Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Furthermore, they are still locked in with a veteran quarterback Derek Carrwho has two years left on his contract and is not willing to take a pay cut.

“That’s a question for the GM and the coach,” Bush said in a one-on-one interview on on behalf of its partnership with Tostitos when asked if the Saints will bring Carr back. “I don’t know at this point because it just depends on what’s out there.” They’re No. 9, so that takes away from all the good quarterbacks. So we’ll see.”

Bush admits that if the Saints aren’t completely sure about a young quarterback in the draft, their best course of action may be to just go back with Carr. After Sanders and Ward, there are no projected first-round picks at quarterback.

“It really just depends on what they can get,” Bush says. done.”

Bush also mentions how the Saints could trade quarterback as a potential alternative.

“I’m not sure what they’re going to do with the quarterback position,” Bush reiterates. “There are some good QBs in this draft and potentially good ones to trade for.”

The NFC South is clearly dominated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have won the previous four division titles and made the playoffs in each of the last five seasons. Right behind them are the Atlanta Falcons, a team on the rise with a young franchise quarterback in Michael Penix. The Falcons entered Week 18 with a chance to win the division, and Penix threw for 312 yards in the season finale against the Carolina Panthers.

In Carr’s defense, the Saints have actually been decent with him in the lineup, with New Orleans going 5-5 with the veteran quarterback in the lineup. However, a .500 record clearly won’t do, as the Saints also went 9-8 last season, just missing out on a playoff spot.

Never mind that the defense — previously a staple of the franchise — has declined drastically. After finishing eighth and in the top 10 in points per game in each of the previous four seasons, the Saints dropped to 19th in scoring defense during the 2024 season.

Bush believes that Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn — a former defensive coach and Saints player — is the most suitable to be the next coach of the team. The former All-Pro running back emphasizes the need for the Saints to find a stable head coach, something they have lacked since Sean Payton left the franchise after the 2021 season.

“Obviously they need a new head coach, they should hire me as the head coach,” Bush says with a smile. “Obviously it’s been a tough season and Derek Carr’s injury has been tough because he’s obviously been the leader of our team and given us so much offensive spark.” We see how much the team struggled without him.”

Bush explains why Glenn would be a good fit for the Saints, pointing to the Lions’ defensive effort in their recent 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings entered the game riding a nine-game winning streak with one of the hottest quarterbacks in Sam Darnold.

“They showed up and played hard and I thought the package he called, that’s the type of defense I’m going to run,” Bush says. “I would mix it up with blitzes, the way he did it.” I thought it was masterful because you saw how much it affected Sam Donald and there were some throws that I know he can make in his sleep.

“The thing he missed on Justin Jefferson in the corner, in the end zone where they were in the red zone, that was a result of the blitz and the pressure he was facing,” Bush says. “He makes that throw nine times out of ten in any other situation.” Justin Jefferson is wide open, and he’s in a one-on-one situation.”

We’ll see what the Saints end up doing at quarterback, but their best option might be to go back with Carr for another season.