Former Saints QB Derek Carr Catches Stray In NFC Playoffs

The New Orleans Saints didn't play a game on Sunday night, but a former member of the franchise inadvertently caught a stray.

Derek Carr didn't play for the Saints in 2025 -- or any team for that matter. Carr opted to hang up his cleats after 11 seasons in the National Football League and four Pro Bowl nods. Carr had a lot of regular season success, but only played in one playoff game. That was as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. In that game, Carr threw for 310 yards, one touchdown, and one interception as the Raiders lost, 26-19.

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So, Carr played in one playoff game and logged on passing touchdown. On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers faced off in the Wild Card Round matchup and wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw his second career touchdown pass with a trick play towards the end of the game. Afterward, Ian Hartitz of Fantasy Life compared Jennings to Carr on X.

The former Saints QB was brought up

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) walks off the field after field after an injury during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"Career postseason touchdown passes: Jauan Jennings: 2, Derek Carr: 1." Hartitz wrote.

Career postseason touchdown passes:

Jauan Jennings: 2
Derek Carr: 1
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) January 12, 2026

Now, that's certainly not the statistic you want to be a part of if you're a quarterback who played in the NFL for a long time and had success as well. There are plenty of quarterbacks who have thrown one or fewer touchdown passes in the playoffs, but Carr took the heat on social media on Sunday.

At this point, the only way that Carr could change this is by coming out of retirement. There's no shot he plays another down for the Saints with Tyler Shough leading the way for the franchise. If Carr wants to come out of retirement and play for a team, the Saints currently have his rights and would need some sort of return.

So, unless something changes with Carr, it appears as though he will always have fewer playoff touchdown passes than the fifth-year 49ers receiver.

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