Derek Carr eyes a return from retirement, and the Vikings are reportedly eyeing him as a potential veteran quarterback acquisition.
The Minnesota Vikings are in search of a quarterback addition in the 2026 offseason. Minnesota's search comes after seeing their former free agent signee Sam Darnold win a Super Bowl at quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.
Darnold's breakout indicates that Minnesota could find similar if they hit on the right quarterback. Now the search could delve into not only free agents but potential trade targets.
Some buzz is generating toward adding one quarterback. Saints insiders are sharing that Derek Carr could be a target for the Vikings in the near future as he considers returning from retirement.
Patrick McAvoy of New Orleans Saints on SI discussed it on Monday. He shared what the pursuit could look like for the Vikings.
"It's important to note that Carr hasn't come out of retirement yet, but this is a potential step in that direction. If so, then he immediately becomes an obvious trade candidate and what should help the Saints is the fact that it's a weak offseason from a quarterback perspective. The 2026 National Football League Draft has one high-end option in Fernando Mendoza. The top option in free agency is Daniel Jones with a significant drop-off after him. In the trade market, both Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa are imperfect options. Carr isn't expensive and should be in high demand if he plays. One intriguing option Ross Jackson of LouisianaSports.Net floated was the Minnesota Vikings. ...
The Vikings rolled with J.J. McCarthy in 2025 after winning 14 games with Sam Darnold in 2024. The Vikings let Darnold walk and win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. In comparison, the Vikings won 9 games and were all sorts of a mess.
If the Vikings want a veteran answer, there won't be many better than Carr if he does decide to play."
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) walks the field before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Caesars Superdome. Matthew Hinton-Imagn ImagesWhether or not Minnesota would benefit greatly from the move or it would have any significance on the team's chances at competing in 2026 is uncertain. Carr has been productive in the league, but after taking a season off it's unknown how well he would perform or if he could elevate the Vikings to the postseason. That said, Carr would probably be an upgrade over current starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy should the Vikings make the move.
Carr probably would not be the Vikings first choice. Minnesota probably would like to add a player who performed at a high level in 2025. We'll see what direction the team goes in the coming months.