Derek

Carr

We’d bet heavily on the lower end of this given how Carr would likely want additional compensation in a reworked contract to unretire, but it’s worth noting given how many teams remain quarterbackless. As of the combine, Mike Florio reported he’d heard of no teams interested in trading for Carr.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported earlier that no team has reached out to the Saints, who still hold the rights to Carr, regarding a trade to acquire the 34-year-old QB. With that in mind, it’s also worth remembering that this is not the first time the Vikings have been connected to Carr. Back in early February, Carr’s brother suggested he could be open to play for a team whose colors are “purple and gold.” The belief around the league is that Carr will unretire to play for some team in 2026. It will most likely take a trade for that to happen, but with plenty of time between now and the start of the season, we’ll see if any suitors emerge after the quarterbacks available in free agency are off the board.

Carr would require some sort of draft pick compensation for the Saints, as if he unretired his contract would toll. He would seem to be more of a backup plan than anything for potentially interested teams at this point, and the idea that he would only unretire for a Super Bowl contender seems to point to it being a very slim needle to thread to find a team that fits both that criteria and is willing to trade something to the Saints for him.

There has been a lot of buzz heading into the offseason about Derek Carr returning to the NFL in 2026. Schultz reports there are “teams with winning aspirations” that have interest in Carr, though the Saints still hold his rights. The 34-year-old certainly looks ready to return for the right situation; New Orleans has moved on with Tyler Shough at quarterback, so Carr and the Saints could work together to get him to a team with interest. With many quarterback-needy teams and a relatively dry free agent and draft class at the position, Carr is back in the mix as a starting option for next season.

Carr’s comments, made during a podcast with his older brother, David, confirm a recent report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. David notably stated that Derek is currently healthy, and suggested a team whose colors are “purple and gold,” like the Vikings, would make for an ideal fit. The younger Carr declined to respond, but he certainly seems interested in returning to the NFL in the right situation. The Saints currently retain his contract rights. Whether they would ask for significant trade compensation to acquire him is unknown.

There’s not a real link here to hold on to yet, the sources are not chirping a specific team, but it’s unsurprising that Carr would consider giving it another go as he’s still just 35 and the quarterback market this offseason is desolate. One complicating factor is that the Saints retain his rights and may ask for something in a trade to move on from their former signalcaller. Carr is reportedly “throwing fully as part of his regular exercise routine.” At this point we’d expect someone to make the plunge on Carr, the only question is the cost.

Rapoport noted that Cincy called nearly every team with three viable quarterbacks on the roster, so Carr was simply one of many names on a long list. Rapport also mentioned Sam Howell and Davis Mills as options. It’s unclear if the Bengals moved on from Carr after he told them he plans to stay retired or if the Saints turned down a potential trade. New Orleans still holds Carr’s rights despite his retirement. Either way, the fact that Carr didn’t come out of retirement to throw to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins suggests he truly is done with football. If there were ever going to be a situation to lure him off the coach, it would have been this one.

Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, Carr made his return sound like a real possibility. He told Patrick, “I wouldn’t say never because I’ve learned that when I say never, it usually happens.” HW also said he is still training just because he loves it. Carr chose not to undergo surgery on his shoulder in the offseason and called it quits on a lengthy career. Teams typically hold the rights to a player after they retire, so the Saints would also need to find a trade partner for Carr, assuming they don’t want him back. Of course, he still needs to be medically cleared before playing football again. We aren’t holding our breath for a Carr comeback, but the odds appear to be meaningfully higher than zero.

It’s a funny quote to say the least, but it also gives us a glimpse into Carr’s mindset as he was deciding on his future. He told Front Office Sports he could either undergo surgery and sit on the sidelines for a year or play through the shoulder issue. In the latter case, Carr said he would not be “near 100 percent.” Between his shoulder injury and the Saints eying up a potential rebuild, retirement made sense for both sides. Carr didn’t sound interested in returning when prompted, noting he was enjoying time on the beach with his kids when his agent asked him if he was still comfortable with his decision. He obviously said yes. Carr also said he would “absolutely” get into the media side of the NFL. All of this is to say Carr shouldn’t be expected to make a surprise return to football at any point.

This news comes from an article published by Jeremy Fowler and ESPN’s Saints writer, Katherine Terrell. According to the article, folks around the league do believe Carr is injured, but “not everyone believes it’s the full story” of why Carr opted for retirement. While Carr did not have permission to speak to teams, it’s reported that the team “didn’t consider it a major issue” due to his 11-year tenure in the league, and the fact that 2025 was the last year he would be receiving guaranteed money on his deal. In short, the Saints were likely headed for a split one way or another after the 2025 season. There are also some who believe that Carr and the Saints were not on good terms, in part due to his lack of a relationship with newly minted head coach Kellen Moore, who never officially committed to Carr as a starter. The two never even had a meeting in person. It’s been reported by ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio that it’s “extremely unlikely” Carr will return to play in 2026 — or ever again. That said, if his injured shoulder isn’t the sole reason for his departure, we can’t rule out a potential return if Carr, 34, gets the itch to play again.