Retired Saints QB Derek Carr's Market Might Surprise You

Rumors around retired New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr picked up loud and fast around the Super Bowl, but things seemingly have hit a wall since.

Reports surfaced indicating Carr's interest in playing again in the right situation. He confirmed the idea on his podcast "Home Grown with David and Derek Carr."

His name was out there consistently in headlines for a few days and there was some buzz at the 2026 National Football League Scouting Combine as well, but there really is no clear answer on his next steps. ESPN's Katherine Terrell reported that the Saints hadn't gotten any calls about Carr as of combine week.

"Carr, the former Saints quarterback, recently addressed the possibility of coming out of retirement on his podcast 'Home Grown with David and Derek Carr.' The 34-year-old said he would return and play if he's healthy, but said it had to be for a team that had a possibility of winning a Super Bowl. 'Would I do it? Yes,' he said. 'Would I do it for anybody? Absolutely not.'

The former Saints QB is in limbo

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

"Carr has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning the Saints are restricted on which team they could send him to if he returns. As of combine week, New Orleans had not heard from Carr's representation or any team interested in possibly acquiring him. Because Carr's situation is rare, a wide range of compensation would likely be considered if he chose to play for another team, but it could be in the range of a third- to fifth-round pick. The Saints hold the rights to the final two years of Carr's contract after he did not play in 2025."

While predicting the quarterback rooms for each team in the league for the 2026 season The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt had a similar sentiment about Carr.

"Carr wants to return to play, but I don’t know where exactly the best landing spot is — and it doesn’t sound like the Saints are getting much interest in the way of trade phone calls yet," Rosenblatt wrote. "They hold his rights if he does unretire, and he also has a no-trade clause."

For the Saints, this doesn't really matter much, outside of the potential for another draft pick or two. It's somewhat surprising that the market appears to be dead. But, free agency begins on March 9. Players will start to come off the board. New Orleans should be hoping a quarterback-needy team misses in free agency and then comes crawling to Carr.