NFL Mock Trade: Saints Send Derek Carr to AFC Contender

The Saints could look to trade Derek Carr to a contender if he's willing to come out of retirement...

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) warms up before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints lost their franchise quarterback, Derek Carr, to a sudden medical retirement last offseason, which forced them to turn to a pair of young signal callers in 2025.

The Saints found their franchise option with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, but now Carr is seemingly healthy and ready to return to the NFL if there's a team willing to take a chance on him, but it also provides the perfect fit. At this point, it would take the perfect situation to pull the veteran out of retirement. The team landing him would also need to give up some draft capital to the Saints to land him.

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Luke Loffrendo of Saints Wire recently put together a mock trade that would send Carr to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick.

Derek Carr would fit perfectly with the Colts

Oct 29, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a long pass during the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

"With several franchises still searching for stability under center, a potential Carr trade has quietly become one of the more intriguing storylines of the offseason," Loffrendo wrote. "Still relatively young at 34, Carr could offer a steady presence for a team that believes it is ready to win now.

"As teams begin to explore the possibility of adding Derek Carr, the Saints also gain an opportunity to evaluate what kind of compensation they could receive in return. Taking into account quarterback need across the league and the available draft capital of interested teams, let’s dive into a few potential trade proposals involving Carr and New Orleans."

The Colts are the perfect landing spot for Carr.

They seemingly have a franchise quarterback with Daniel Jones, but he tore his Achillies at the end of last season. With that in mind, it would make sense for the Colts to sign Jones to a three or four year extension while also trading for Carr.

This would give them two veteran options to compete for the starting job. If Carr doesn't pan out, he could work as a bridge quarterback until Jones returns. If Jones can't bounce back from his injury, the Colts would have Carr as a safety blanket. If they're both productive, the Colts could trade one away. Either way, it could make sense for Indianapolis.

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