Derek Carr’s retirement Saturday has created a young quarterback room for the New Orleans Saints. With so much youth at an important position, former NFL wide receiver James Jones believes former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers could make the Saints a more formidable team. On Monday’s episode of FS1’s “The Facility,” Jones, who played for the Green Bay Packers and Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, said the Saints should reach out to Rodgers and sign him as their starter. “The call should have been made when Derek Carr said, ‘Hey, man, I’m not feeling this shoulder and it’s time for me to be with my wife and kids,” Jones said. “They should have been calling Aaron Rodgers. If Aaron Rodgers walked into the New Orleans building right now, he’s the best quarterback in the division and gives you a chance to win.” Jones pointed out that current Saints quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener have a combined 0-7 record and said Tyler Shough, the team’s 2025 second-round pick, was “brought into the building that a lot of people weren’t high on.” The Saints find themselves in this predicament because Carr suffered a labral tear in his throwing shoulder, according to a statement released Saturday. The statement added that “degenerative changes” in his rotator cuff prompted Carr to end his career after 11 seasons. Rodgers has remained a free agent since the Jets released him this offseason, and expectations are that he will either sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers or retire. Rodgers has met with the Steelers, and the Steelers remain hopeful he will play for them this season. The Steelers have also tried to coax Rodgers by not taking a quarterback high in this year’s draft and reportedly show interest in one of Rodgers’ favorite targets, Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard. Playing for the Saints could be a better opportunity if the Saints are focused on winning rather than rebuilding. If they are trying to win, Rodgers would have a solid core of weapons around him, with running back Alvin Kamara and wide receivers Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks on the roster. Jones recommended a simple pitch for the Saints to lure in Rodgers. “They absolutely should make the call to Aaron Rodgers and ask, ‘What’s your plan?’” Jones said. “If you come over here, you’re in the dome. The division is weak, and you have a chance.” Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.