Unretiring QB Derek Carr sparks Saints fan excitement, but a trade faces significant hurdles, contract complications, and league-wide skepticism.
Former NFL quarterback Derek Carr is seeing a ton of buzz after announcing his interesting in returning to the league from retirement. New Orleans Saints fans are liking that news.
Why is there excitement from Saints fans? Well, Carr's return poses an opportunity for the team to get something back for the quarterback in a trade. We have discussed that in detail this week.
The trade is certainly possible and one that Carr may even welcome, given the breakout performance we saw from rookie quarterback Tyler Shough in 2025. That said, it won't be without its hurdles.
Matt Sullivan of The Sporting News discussed the likelihood of the deal happening and the potential challenges it could face. Sullivan shared his thoughts.
"Carr might decide to come out of retirement to go to a specific team, but it will be a whole lot more complicated than simply signing a contract.
Even if he finds a team willing to give him a chance next year, Carr would still need to waive his no-trade clause and hope the Saints and this new team work out a deal that doesn't impact either team negatively.
He's going to be 35 next season and is currently in the middle of a huge $150 million contract. After his tenure in New Orleans ended on a sour note, Carr's unretirement to then go to a new team will make for an awkward situation.
Carr finding a team interested in acquiring him for a season or two would be a mild surprise. He's been out of the league for a year, is under contract on a big deal, and doesn't bring the upside that some of the other quarterback options bring."
Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws the ball during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesIt's certainly within reason that Carr could come in and play effective football in 2026. We saw Philip Rivers come out of a multi-year retirement to play above average football for the Indianapolis Colts late this season. That's not so say Carr will have the same success, but that it's possible.
The issue is an NFL franchise being willing to take on Carr's contract and the Saints likely unwillingness to cover the majority of the contract to see him play for another team.
It would probably take a team desperate for a quarterback to bring him on and would also need Carr's cooperation on where to be traded. We'll see where the trade talks take Carr over the next couple months should he officially unretire.