The Miami Dolphins need a quarterback, and now they have been linked to Derek Carr, should he come out of retirement.
Injury issues led to former Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr retiring from the NFL. Now, there have been rumblings of him making a comeback, and the Dolphins have been named as a landing spot.
It makes sense for most quarterbacks to be linked to the Dolphins, simply due to their current situation.
There is seemingly no chance that Tua Tagovailoa remains on the roster, and the latest rumors indicate that Miami may try to facilitate a trade. That would likely come with having to pay a sizeable amount of his contract, but it could happen.
With the Dolphins either trading or cutting Tagovailoa, it leaves them with Quinn Ewers. Ewers started three games in 2025 and will remain on the roster as an upcoming "second-year" player.
The Dolphins have also been attached to Malik Willis plenty, but it all depends on the cap situation being worked out enough to land Willis.
The same can be said for Carr, who appears to keep finding himself as the subject of rumors that he will unretire.
NFL.com's Nick Shook offered some landing spots regarding Carr and named the Dolphins as one of four possibilities to land the former Saints signal caller.
"The Dolphins are expected to move on from Tua Tagovailoa this offseason and might only have Quinn Ewers, heading into his second pro season, as their best remaining option. With a roster that is talented enough to contend and includes stars like De'Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins only need a proven starter to complete the majority of their offensive picture. They'd find that in Carr, who would need to be convinced of new head coach Jeff Hafley's vision but could find a welcome home in warm and sunny Miami.
With a projected deficit of $16 million entering 2026, Miami would likely need to create some cap space in order to make this possible. If they want Carr badly enough, though, they'll find a way to make it work," Shook wrote.
Shook linking Carr to the Dolphins makes sense simply due to the team needing a true starting quarterback. The issue still becomes the contract situation.
Will the Dolphins have enough cap space to compete with the other teams, potentially wanting to bring Carr in? Also, should they risk it, knowing that he retired due to a labral tear and the complications from that injury?
Miami cannot afford to take a flier on a quarterback with its questionable cap situation. It would likely be better to pursue a contract with Willis, but Carr could also come back into the league on a small deal due to his injuries.