NFL Insider Pours Cold Water on Potential Saints-Derek Carr Comeback

The New Orleans Saints lost Derek Carr to a sudden retirement last offseason, and it shook their franchise up quite a bit. They were forced to turn to Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler as the team's starting quarterbacks. Shough ended up showing a lot of potential and solidifying himself as the team's new starter.

But recently, Carr has reportedly been open to the idea of a comeback if the situation was perfect. There are plenty of teams around the league that could use a quarterback. This idea could quickly turn into trade rumors for the Saints if the perfect situation presents itself.

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ESPN's Ben Solak recently suggested the idea of a Carr comeback wasn't as intriguing as it may have seemed at the time of the first announcement that it could happen.

A Derek Carr comeback doesn't make much sense after all

Dec 15, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) after a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

"Apparently Carr would maybe come back for the right team? This does not interest me at all. Remember, Carr is still under contract with the Saints, so he isn't free if he unretires," Solak wrote. "He has to return to New Orleans, waive his no-trade clause then get dealt. (Presumably not for much, as the Saints don't want to keep his contract on the books, but still.) Carr will be 35 next month, so he hasn't aged out of the league just yet, but it's difficult to be enthusiastic about his ceiling outside of the Klint Kubiak offense."

A Carr comeback doesn't make too much sense for anybody involved.

For the Saints, it would be a very difficult idea to navigate. Carr is on a massive contract, so they would need to either pay it or dump it off to whichever team is trading for him. Add in the fact that Carr still has a no-trade clause and the idea gets even harder to imagine.

There are also very few teams in the league that need a quarterback, but could provide Carr with the perfect situation that he's looking for. The Pittsburgh Steelers could do it, but they seem more interested in retaining Aaron Rodgers than anything. Plus, would the Steelers take on the brunt of Carr's contract. It's unlikely.

Teams like the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets could pursue Carr. But are they the perfect fit that he's looking for? Probably not.

At this point, a return seems unlikely.

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