New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr retired in May 2025 due to a significant right shoulder injury caused by a labral tear and degenerative changes to his rotator cuff, bypassing surgery that would have sidelined him this season. He gave up $30 million in future guarantees while keeping the $10 million roster bonus since he was on the roster past March. In the meantime, the Saints are moving forward with Tyler Shough as their starting quarterback, and Carr reportedly received trade interest from the Cincinnati Bengals during the NFL Trade Deadline, though he remained retired.
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New Orleans Saints 4x-Pro Bowler is flirting with a comeback
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
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
Derek Carr has recently been flirting with the idea of making a comeback to the NFL after his shoulder has fully healed. During the Home Grown podcast with his brother David, the four-time Pro Bowler said he would be willing to unretire but would not do it for anybody, preferring to join a Super Bowl contender, since he still has a no-trade clause. Another consideration is that if Carr returns, the Saints would retain his contract rights, and he has one year remaining on his deal worth around $50 million.
“Would I do it? Yes. Would I do it for anybody? Absolutely not,” Carr said. “Would I do it. Absolutely, I would. I told you two things: I have to be healthy, and I’d want a chance to win a Super Bowl. And obviously, that’s a tough thing to find. That’s hard to do. That’s not easy.
“I had to say no a couple of times so far.”
Why a 4x-Pro Bowlers’ NFL comeback is unlikely
New Orleans Saints, Derek Carr, NFL
Oct 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) reacts after an injury during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
So far, no NFL team has expressed interest in acquiring Derek Carr, mainly because of his one-year, $50 million contract, which would be renegotiated immediately if traded. According to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom, an anonymous general manager seeking quarterback help brushed aside his attempted comeback, saying the media is overhyping it and that no one in the league is taking it seriously, citing his bad contract and believing he will remain retired. An anonymous executive also said he would prefer signing Ryan Tannehill, who hasn’t played since 2023, over Carr.
“‘I think you guys (in the media) are talking more about this than us,”‘ a general manager told Canfora. “‘The Saints don’t have a market for him. That’s a really bad contract. He’s going to stay retired.”‘
“Another NFL executive said, if he was going to experiment on a veteran quarterback who had been out of the game for a significant period of time he’d prefer to take a shot on Ryan Tannehill, especially if he was looking for someone to have to play more than just a week or two, like how Philip Rivers came out of retirement late last season to play a few games for the Colts.”