The New Orleans Saints said this week they believe they can win with Derek Carr, which puts the veteran quarterback on track to return for 2025. That doesn’t mean the team won’t try to add another signal-caller in the near future. Kicking off the scouting combine Thursday, the Saints dedicated one of their prospect meetings to Miami quarterback Cam Ward, according to NewOrleans.Football.

Speaking with a top prospect isn’t unusual for any team, but Ward is widely expected to come off the board early in the first round of April’s draft. The Saints, meanwhile, aren’t scheduled to pick until No. 9 overall. But they could be in the market for a long-term Carr successor. In fact, prior to endorsing the veteran this week, Carr himself was widely speculated as a cut or trade candidate, as he’s due more than $50 million in 2025.

Ward is currently ranked as CBS Sports’ top quarterback prospect in the 2025 class, and No. 8 among all positions. Many have linked the Miami product to quarterback-needy teams picking in the top five, including the Tennessee Titans (No. 1), Cleveland Browns (No. 2) and New York Giants (No. 3). The Las Vegas Raiders are also strong candidates to consider an early quarterback selection, picking No. 6 overall.