Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
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The QB position with the Minnesota Vikings is one of the more talked-about storylines of the offseason. After watching Sam Darnold win Super Bowl LX, there’s pressure on either the front office to find the right QB or J.J. McCarthy to take a major leap in his development heading into Season 2 as the starter.
Recently, on Feb. 8,NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo reported that Carr could consider coming out of retirement for the 2026 season if the right opportunity presents itself, particularly with a team that offers a favorable situation and coaching staff.
As a result, the speculation turned to the Vikings. Moreover, Carr has left the door open for Minnesota or another team to convince him that their situation is worth it for him to unretire.
“Moral of the story, would I come back? The answer, obviously, is yes, but I had to say no a couple of times so far,”Carr said in a Feb. 12 video from Home Grown with David & Derek Carr. “… So would I do it? Absolutely, I would do it. I told you two things: I’d have to be healthy, and I would want a chance to win a Super Bowl.”
Vikings Seen as an Ideal Landing Spot for Derek Carr
So, why are the Vikings in this speculation? NFL.com’s Nick Shook sees the Vikings as an ideal landing spot for the former Las Vegas Raiders QB should he decide to unretire for the 2026 NFL season.
“If Carr is interested in manning a backup role that could include a camp competition for the starting job, he’ll find that in Minnesota,”Shook wrote in his article published on Feb. 11. “J.J. McCarthy didn’t cement his role as the Vikings’ franchise quarterback in his first season as their starter and has plenty of work ahead of him this offseason.
“Minnesota might not exercise as much patience in 2026, either, not after they watched their playoff hopes evaporate this past season because of unreliability under center.”
Derek Carr to Minnesota Would Make Sense for Both Parties
Furthermore, Shook wrote why the former New Orleans Saints QB heading to Minnesota would be an ideal fit for the team and the player. The Vikings are built to win now, and they showed that in 2024 with Sam Darnold, winning 14 games.
As a result, could the front office decide to rewrite a mistake and bring in a veteran who hasn’t played football in over a year to compete with McCarthy for the starting job?
“Carr would address Minnesota’s need for a proven veteran capable of handling the job — an area which former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted he’d misjudgedprior to being fired in January — and could also push McCarthy in camp,” Shook added. “Carr might also be enticed by the presence of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addisonand T.J. Hockenson.
“Ultimately, this fit might depend on whether Carr is interested in competing for a job, or if he’d rather walk into a situation that has him penciled in as QB1. Money matters, too, and the Vikings have a salary cap hole to dig out of before they can start thinking about Carr.”