Retired Quarterback Derek Carr’s Return Hype Falls Flat With NFL Decision-Makers

Although sections of the media continue to suggest that NFL teams would welcome a comeback from retired quarterback Derek Carr, it’s far harder to find any front-office executives who share that enthusiasm for a return.

Carr, whose tenure with the Saints was mostly dreadful with him signing a lucrative contract that team officials quickly regretted, has been threatening to come out of retirement to play for a contending team. 

New Orleans retains his rights and conversations with multiple teams actually in the market for quarterback upgrades revealed no appetite for the veteran even despite this college draft being very short on quarterback options and despite the free-agent class being barren as well.

Who Is Pining For Carr’s Return?

Carr, 34, is coming off a year out of football and, at the time the Saints signing him to his last deal, outside interest in him was already waning. 

He walked away from the game due to a significant shoulder injury and would be seen by other NFL has a back-up option, if that, from what I gather. 

“I think you guys (in the media) are talking more about this than us,” said one NFL general manager who is actively seeking quarterback help. “The Saints don’t have a market for him. That’s a really bad contract. He’s going to stay retired.”

An agent for a top free agent quarterback said he does not view Carr as competition for his client’s services and in general there has been skepticism within the football world about Carr playing anywhere in 2026. 

Another NFL executive said, if he was going to experiment on a veteran quarterback who had been out of the game for a significant period of time he’d prefer to take a shot on Ryan Tannehill, especially if he was looking for someone to have to play more than just a week or two, like how Philip Rivers came out of retirement late last season to play a few games for the Colts.