Before trading for Joe Flacco, the Bengals reached out to several quarterbacks in an effort to address their issues under center as Jake Browning threw eight interceptions in less than four games.
One of those quarterbacks Cincinnati reached out to was Derek Carr, who announced his retirement in May. But his reasons for turning down the Bengals suggest the former star’s football career may not be over.
Carr’s brother, former Texans quarterback David Carr, essentially revealed in an interview with ABC30 Fresno that the Bengals were interested in Carr.
“I can neither confirm nor deny,” he said with a smile.
He went on to explain that the looming return of Joe Burrow and possibility that Carr would be replaced put him off of joining Cincinnati.
“Derek would like to be in a situation that obviously is a team that really needs a guy to come in and take ‘em for the long haul,” David said. “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.”
Carr, 34, retired from the NFL in May because of a shoulder injury that would have required surgery. The news came as a surprise, as the 11-year veteran gave up $30 million.
Carr spent nine years with the Raiders and two with the Saints.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.