Derek Carr's Brother Drops Surprise Message On Ex-Saints QB

The New Orleans Saints went back to the drawing board this past offseason after it was announced that Derek Carr would be retiring from the National Football League after playing 11 seasons in the league.

It was reported that Carr was dealing with a shoulder injury and the two sides went in different directions. Carr went off to retirement and the Saints began a quarterback competition this past summer featuring Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough, and Jake Haener. Rattler won the job and has been a bright spot for the Saints throughout the season to this point.

Over the course of the season, Carr has talked about his NFL career and has cracked the door open to a potential return at some point, although he hasn't guaranteed a return at any point. For example, he joined the "Dan Patrick Show" back in September and talked about the possibility.

"I wouldn't say never because I've learned when I say never, then it usually happens," Carr said. "I think we've all probably learned that. For me, right now, I'm training because I love to train. That's going to be the rest of my life. I love to train. I throw a football every now and then in the fornt with my kids and to my buddy for fun because it is part of my rehab still with my shoulder.

"I'm trying to get that back right and getting a shot and doing the rehab and all of that. I'm still doing those things. I always felt like even though I'm done, if God wanted me to do it, I've got to be ready. I don't want to go out there and not be ready. So, I'll be ready. But, I'm not coming back. Right now, today, I'm not coming back."

Carr's brother, David, joined Stephen Hicks of ABC30 Fresno for an interview this week and raised eyebrows even further.

Will the former Saints QB come out of retirement?

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

"I can neither confirm nor deny," Carr said when asked if his brother was approached by the Cincinnati Bengals. "But I will say that Derek would like to be in a situation that obviously is a team that really needs a guy to come in and take them the long haul. There’s a feeling that maybe Joe Burrow might come back at some point this year — at least try to come back. I don’t know if Derek would feel comfortable being in a situation where say he was to enter in a team situation where the quarterback was hurt and he drove them all the way in, they got into the playoffs, and then he had to go sit on the sidelines...

"So, I don't think Derek would be interested in that scenario, but I think that if a scenario shows itself, which historically those have popped up, and obviously God forbid you don’t want a quarterback on a team that is a contender to go down, but this stuff happens, so Derek will definitely be ready if that situation arises and the opportunity has to be perfect for him because he is very comfortable in retirement, I will tell you that."

The former Saints quarterback cracked the door open a bit last month, but the fact that his brother openly said he would be ready for the perfect opportunity is very interesting. Carr is just 34 years old. Whether that opportunity pops this season or not, it at least increases the likelihood that we could see him play in the NFL again at some point.

The most surprising part of Carr's message about his brother wasn't the fact that he could be interested in returning but how he would be ready if the right opportunity were to arise. Does that mean that he's healthy and ready to play now if an injury pops up across the league? It's certainly eye-opening, to say the least.

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