Retired quarterbacks were so last season.
Former Saints field general Derek Carr’s teased NFL comeback has yet to generate enthusiasm from around the league, Pro Football Talk reported Saturday evening.
The four-time Pro Bowler, 34, announced his retirement after the 2024 campaign due to a shoulder injury, but stated in mid-February that he’d return to the gridiron for a chance to compete for a Super Bowl.
“Would I do it? Yes. Would I do it for anybody? Absolutely not,” Carr said on his podcast.
“I’d have to be healthy and I’d want a chance to win a Super Bowl. And obviously, that’s a tough thing to find. That’s hard to do. That’s not easy.”
Carr insinuated that he’s back to full strength — and that he’s already declined a few opportunities that didn’t fit his vision.
“I had to say no a couple times so far,” Carr said.
The 11-year veteran is still under contract with the Saints — planted on New Orleans’ retired-reserved list — meaning interested teams would have to work out a trade.
The Fresno State product has reached the playoffs only twice in his career, both with the Raiders. He missed the 2016 wild card with a broken leg before falling to the Bengals in the 2021 opening round.
Through the first week of free agency, several teams have already filled their quarterback needs, including the Dolphins (Malik Willis), Jets (Geno Smith), Vikings (Kyler Murray), and Falcons (Tua Tagovailoa).
The Raiders — Carr’s former team — seem poised to take Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, leaving the Steelers and Cardinals as the only remaining teams in need of a first-string QB.
Not exactly title favorites.
Carr could draw interest from Pittsburgh if Aaron Rodgers departs in free agency, or if the Steelers don’t roll with a quarterback, namely Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, in the draft.
But it seems that Carr’s clearest path back to the pros would emerge from a contending team’s starter suffering an injury — think Philip Rivers taking over for the Colts after Daniel Jones tore his Achilles — and needing a veteran stopgap.
Carr led the Saints to a 5–5 record before hitting the sidelines with a concussion and hand injury in 2024, completing 67.7% of his passes for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
He first experienced pain in his throwing shoulder while ramping up for the 2025 campaign.
