derek carr
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Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders.
As of now, it seems like the Las Vegas Raiders are planning to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s the only quarterback worthy of a top-five draft pick in this year’s class, and the team has a huge need at the position.
However, there’s one thing that could complicate the team’s decision-making. Klint Kubiak is set to be the Raiders’ next head coach, and he’s not somebody who has worked with a lot of young quarterbacks in his career.
He just won a Super Bowl with Sam Darnold, who has been playing for a long time. Another quarterback he has coached is Derek Carr, who is considering coming out of retirement, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
“As quarterback injuries mounted this season and into the playoffs, teams conducted due diligence on Carr, trying to gather information as to whether the former Saints franchise passer would consider coming out of retirement, sources tell The Insiders,” Rapoport, Garafolo and Pelissero wrote. “The Bengals, for instance, contacted Carr after Joe Burrow went down with his turf toe injury.
“That work continues, and an offseason of quarterback uncertainty — with limited options in free agency, trades and the draft — makes Carr a possible solution in the right situation.”
Could Raiders Sign Carr Instead of Drafting QB?
Carr is the Raiders’ all-time leading passer, but things didn’t end well when he was cut. Most of the people who made that decision are no longer in the building.
Kubiak and Carr worked well together for the one year they spent in New Orleans. WFAN’s Evan Roberts speculated that the Raiders could consider bringing Carr back and then trading the No. 1 pick to accumulate more assets.
“If the Raiders are thinking to themselves, and Klint Kubiak is thinking, ‘you know what, my boy’s coming out of retirement, I had a very good 10-game run with him … I think he’s healthy.’ Would the Raiders consider bringing back Derek Carr and trading the No. 1 overall pick?” Roberts speculated.
Raiders Won’t Do This
Even if there was a world where the Raiders brought back Carr, it would likely be to help mentor Mendoza through his rookie year. He could likely be a starter for a team next season, so that doesn’t make much sense for him.
Also, the Raiders might have to trade an asset to the Saints to get his rights. The team has Geno Smith under contract, so he’d make more sense as a veteran bridge quarterback right now.
The Raiders have only had the No. 1 pick twice in the history of the franchise. This is the one time that they have an easy path to a potential franchise quarterback. They’re not going to squander that.
If Carr is released and willing to be a backup for the Raiders as a potential stepping stone toward becoming a coach, that would make a ton of sense for both sides, but Las Vegas can’t go into 2026 with Carr being the unquestioned starter at quarterback.