Could Derek Carr reignite his career? An analyst breaks down the veteran quarterback's potential return and impact on New Orleans.
Quarterback controversy is not at all what the Saints entered the offseason thinking after the emergence of one key player. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough ended all discussion around who will play quarterback for the team next season, or so we thought.
Shough put up an impressive rookie campaign winning the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year award after helping the Saints win four of five games to end the season. And while one unretiring quarterback does not put a wrench in the Saints' plans at the position, it does make things interesting.
Former Saints quarterback Derek Carr is mulling unretirement. Presumably New Orleans does not want to head into 2026 with Carr as its starter, but there is the possibility the quarterback could be traded. It naturally begs the question, how good would Carr be in an NFL return?
Trevor Woods of Forbes made his case for why Carr could return to form in another season in the league.
"Carr has played at a high level during various points of his career, amassing 41,245 passing yards and 257 touchdowns throughout 11 seasons. Carr spent his first nine seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders and final two with the Saints.
Carr played well for the Saints, and it wasn’t on-field production that derailed his career, it was an ailing shoulder. In 27 games with the Saints, Carr had a 68.2% completion rate and threw for 6,023 yards with 40 passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
If Carr unretires, it’s fair to believe that he will be every bit as good or better than he was during his final NFL seasons, especially if his shoulder is indeed at full strength. Carr has usually had to do more with less as part of struggling teams, indicative of his 77-92 starting record."
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes during practice at Yulman Stadium (Tulane). Stephen Lew-Imagn ImagesWhether or not time to heal Carr's shoulder was all he needed to return to peak performance is certainly up for debate. While we did see NFL veteran Philip Rivers return after several seasons of retirement with great success, it does not guarantee that Carr will adjust to the speed of the game as quickly.
To his credit, the former Saints quarterback does not seem in poor playing condition for having left the league. Carr could very well step onto the field and play at a high level. But even if he does, it's unclear that the Saints would look back at what they could have accomplished with Carr negatively now that Shough has emerged at the quarterback position.
Derek Carr could return in 2026. We'll see what he decides over the next few months.