NFL rumors: NFL insider claims Saints' Derek Carr could land help from Cowboys WR in free agency

The New Orleans Saints have a new head coach in Kellen Moore, whom they hope will revamp the offense and make them a contender in the NFC South once again. As the new NFL season officially begins this week, rumors and speculation of where key players may end up continue to circulate.

Sports Illustrated's Senior NFL reporter Albert Breer, shared his thoughts on some transactions that may happen in the near future. Breer said that he could see wide receiver Brandin Cooks reuniting with the New Orleans Saints, the team that drafted him with the 20th overall selection in 2014.

"Speaking of the Saints, I wouldn’t be floored if they make a run at bringing Brandin Cooks back after all these years. Cooks can still run, and would be a nice complementary piece to what New Orleans has in Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara."-Albert Breer wrote

Brandin Cooks has played the last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played in just ten games this past season as he dealt with a knee injury. In 2024 he had just 26 catches for a total of 259 yards and three touchdowns.

Saints restructured QB Derek Carr's contract after he declined pay cut

Quarterback Derek Carr signed a four-year contract worth $150 million in March 2023. This offseason, as New Orleans looks to rebuild their roster, Carr was reportedly asked if he would take a pay cut to allow additional salary cap space for other roster additions.

Carr reportedly didn't want to do that so New Orleans decided to restructure his contract instead, a move they could make without the quarterback's permission. The team converted his base salary into a bonus and his fully guaranteed $40 million salary will be paid out this season. Instead of a $51,458,000 hit to the salary cap, Carr's contract will only hit the salary cap at $20,462,000.

With the restructure, Derek Carr will likely be the starting quarterback this season. Moving into 2026 though, Carr's status with the New Orleans Saints remains up in the air as his salary cap hit would be $69.2 million if he remains on the team. If he is released by June 1, 2026, New Orleans would suffer just a $40.4 million hit to the salary cap.