The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are fortunate to have Baker Mayfield as their starting quarterback but other teams aren't as lucky. One such team is Bucs division rival New Orleans. The Saints have been dealt a difficult blow recently with the news that Derek Carr's shoulder injury could jeopardize his 2025 season.
With the Saints already being linked to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders before the Carr news came out, expect those stories to ramp up even more now that Carr might not be able to play in 2025. If the Saints do manage to land Sanders in the draft, this obviously impacts Tampa because it'd mean the Bucs would be tasked with facing him at least twice a year for the foreseeable future.
Shedeur Sanders joining NFC South gains even more traction
Sanders spent the past two years playing quarterback for his dad Deion Sanders at Colorado and threw for over 4,100 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 picks in 2024. Bucs fans would have no problem rooting against Sanders given how cocky he was during his collegiate career and now he'd be bringing that swagger to the division.
To make matters more interesting here, the Saints own the ninth pick in the draft. While, yes, Sanders has been dropping in recent mock drafts, it doesn't feel like he's falling to New Orleans at nine. This hopefully means that the Saints will give up a king's ransom to move up to take Sanders, further handicapping them in future drafts.
There's also no guarantee that Sanders works out and the Saints have not succeeded at finding a quarterback since Drew Brees retired following the 2020 season. It's been entertaining for Bucs fans to watch the Saints struggle to find a quarterback but even if they find a way to land Sanders in the draft, just remember that it doesn't mean he'll turn them into contenders.
While the Bucs get to enjoy Baker Mayfield for the foreseeable future, it's been a lot of fun watching the Saints rely on Carr, Spencer Rattler, and whoever else they've tried trotting out at quarterback. If they land Sanders, let's hope their quarterback luck doesn't change.