Rumors swirl as the Saints reportedly plan to trade Derek Carr after his un-retirement, with the Jets emerging as a potential destination.
We have quarterback trade news in New Orleans, at least by way of rumors. Fantasy football expert Matthew Berry is sharing that the Saints could have a trade deal for former New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr.
Whether the rumor is substantive is still to be seen, but it appears whoever Berry talked to is confident they can make a move. John Sigler of Saints Wire discussed the possibility that Carr could be traded soon.
"NBC Sports insider Matthew Berry shared the 35 most interesting rumors he heard at the combine, and he led off with a doozy about the New Orleans Saints and Derek Carr: 'From what I heard, the Saints expect him to un-retire and play in 2026. The Saints are very happy with Tyler Shough, so New Orleans expects Carr to un-retire and then they will trade him. To the New York Jets.'
Berry acknowledged that this was more hearsay than anything substantive, and that other reporters have suggested teams like the Minnesota Vikings as a destination for Carr. He added 'What I heard was that the Saints think Carr will un-retire and they will be able to trade him to the Jets. Shrug emoji.'
We'll see if anything really develops on that front. Berry added that the Jets were also linked to Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and, excitingly, Fernando Mendoza. The 'good, not great' quarterback is expected to go first overall but may excite the Jets more than the Las Vegas Raiders, who own that pick. Maybe Raiders coach Klint Kubiak would rather work with Carr again than try to develop an unproven rookie. Getting a big return in a trade from first overall to second would make that decision a little easier."
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) after a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Stephen Lew-Imagn ImagesAgain, Berry's claim is not necessarily reality as Sigler notes. And while NFL sources, no matter how connected they are to the team, may be talking about deals with particular teams, one might think that those deals would probably get done rather than simply be talked about at this stage.
Because the Jets have so many options, you might expect they would simply make the move rather than just talk about it. Nevertheless, the Jets seem more like the type of team that would want to sign Carr than the Minnesota Vikings and other teams looking for quarterbacks.
The next few weeks will reveal where several quarterbacks go, but for now it seems like the Saints will be able to find a trade partner for Carr, even if it's not the Jets.