Derek

Carr

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.

Carr is reportedly “already making other professional plans.” Whatever those entail, they apparently do not involve using retirement as a quick dodge off the Saints roster. We’ll probably get rumors for another year or two about Carr, who would have been playing his age-34 season had he not retired suddenly on Saturday. But there’s no reason to expect him to return to the field at this point.

Wow, to put it mildly. The news was announced by the team itself. Saints insider Nick Underhill reports Carr “tried all his options to get back on the field and ultimately decided against having another surgery and will retire.” He also reports the Saints will “recoup the money from this offseason’s restructure and will get cap relief.” In a statement, the team said Carr was dealing with a “labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff,” and that surgery would not guarantee a return to full effectiveness. It’s a sad end for a player who spent most of his career overachieving, though perhaps not surprising. Carr, who almost never missed time before last season, had grown increasingly prone to playing through injury. It apparently was no longer sustainable. Carr never won a playoff game but qualified for four Pro Bowls. He was ultimately a high-floor, limited-ceiling player who maximized every ounce of his talent to start over a decade in the league. Carr’s retirement means rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough will now begin the season as Saints starter barring something truly surprising happening in training camp.

Slater reports that Carr believes he injured his throwing shoulder in the same Week 14 game against the Giants that he injured his left wrist last season. The shoulder issue was apparently discovered as he ramped up throwing in the spring, not as the season wound down in 2024. Carr has already had surgery on that arm and wants to see if he can play through the injury. Slater adds that Carr made two trips to New Orleans to meet with the team doctor and a decision will be made “sooner rather than later” as the 34-year-old tries to make the best decision for his shoulder and the Saints aim to make the best decision for their franchise. It would be a surprise to see Carr return to start for the Saints, especially without having surgery. New Orleans has signaled an attempt to move on by selecting Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Carr has two seasons left on his four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints and a decision on his future is looming.

“I would have trouble understanding why you would allow that to happen, you’re trying to build a new culture, you can’t let that guy ... you just got a rookie QB, this is the example you’re going to give him,” Underhill continued. Both Underhill and Mike Triplett believe Tyler Shough will be starting for the Saints in Week 1, with Underhill saying he had “80 percent or higher odds to start 80 percent of the games this year.” Shough would be an uninspiring superflex pick, perhaps a QB3, but given how things have played out with Carr over the past months, it sure doesn’t seem like the Saints have a reason to want to continue this relationship. Mickey Loomis literally asked reporters to stop asking him Carr questions at his pre-draft press conference.

It’s not where we’d expect to hear Carr dive into his injury status, but speaking at a church in Las Vegas over the weekend, Carr said he and the team has been “in constant communication” regarding his injury, and downplayed any reports that suggested otherwise. There have been wide spread discussions about Carr’s injury at this point, which Underdog’s James Palmer said the team had been aware of since it first occurred. Others have speculated that Carr is attempting to use the injury as a way to force his way out of New Orleans. It’s safe to say this won’t be the last time we talk about Carr’s shoulder, but the Saints selection of Tyler Shough in the second round shows they are clearly planning for a future without him — whether in 2025 or later.

Loomis initially said there will be a quarterback situation between Carr and second-round selection Tyler Shough, only to declare Carr as the starter if he’s still healthy. At least they know what they’re doing. Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that was made public a few weeks ago, and there’s been speculation that the injury could carry over into the start of the 2025 season. It’s also been suggested that Carr is using the injury as a way to force himself out of New Orleans. Carr signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints during the 2023 offseason and has thrown for 6,023-40-13 in 27 games with the team. Loomis’ comments were made shortly after the conclusion of the NFL Draft. It goes without saying that there’s a lot to figure out here, but it wouldn’t be surprising if we later learn Carr isn’t being handed the keys to the starting job if healthy.