After calling it a career during last year’s NFL offseason, the former Las Vegas Raider and Saints quarterback Derek Carr is open to returning to the league on one condition. According to him, Carr appeared on his and his brother’s podcast, “Home Grown with David and Derek Carr,” and mentioned what it would take for him to come out of retirement. Originally selected as a second-round pick, the former Fresno State product retired due to injury issues and reportedly didn’t want to continue taking money from the cash-strapped Saints since he was still recovering. Now, the former Raider is available to sign with a team before the 2026 regular season, and this is what he had to say about returning.
“Would I do it? Absolutely, I would do it,” he said. “I told you two things. I’d have to be healthy, and I would want a chance to win a Super Bowl. And obviously, that’s a tough thing to find. That’s hard to do.”
Former NFL Four-Time Pro Bowler Derek Carr Could Join These 3 Contenders
Derek Carr is open to returning if it means a deep run at Super Bowl contention. Given his age of 34, it’s easy to see why he’s taking this route. Carr knows his time playing at a high-level is limited, but he is also limiting his options of where he plans to play. While teams that aren’t contenders can reach out to him regarding his availability, he might not be open to the idea. However, similar to Aaron Rodgers, who is still deciding on his future, Carr is taking a similar path and taking it season by season to evaluate all the cards on the table.
Perhaps, many could see the return of Carr with these three teams for the start of the 2026 regular season.
Potential Fits
Minnesota Vikings
With the departure of Sam Darnold last offseason, there’s no question now that the Vikings are going to keep an eye on potential veteran quarterbacks. After taking a chance on JJ McCarthy this past 2025 campaign, Darnold left Minnesota for the Seahawks and eventually won the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. It put a sting to the Vikings during Super Bowl week, but they still have a chance to return to the playoffs next year if they bench McCarthy.
Darnold took this team 14-3 despite losing in the first-round of the playoffs. However, Carr could do the same, but this time with a better system than he had in Las Vegas and New Orleans. Don’t be surprised if the Vikings look into bringing Carr on a veteran minimum one-year deal.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Meanwhile, the Steelers are still holding their breath for Aaron Rodgers to return after hiring his former head coach, Mike McCarthy. At some point, the team will need to rebuild, but they could always target other veteran options if Rodgers decides to hang it up. While it’s rumored that Rodgers is inclined to return to the Steelers on another one-year contract, the Steelers should keep the door open for Carr. He has more than one year in him, and establishing a connection with McCarthy wouldn’t be the worst thing for Pittsburgh.
Los Angeles Rams
Despite Matthew Stafford announcing he’s returning for at least another season, the Los Angeles Rams are another team that will eventually need to embrace the rebuild. However, they won’t have to worry about that until 2027. The good news is that they signed Sean McVay to an extension, which means he isn’t going anywhere. If Stafford retires after the 2026 regular season, McVay has Carr, whom he could bring in and properly develop into a star in Los Angeles.
McVay has one of the greatest minds as a coach in the NFL. If he was able to do it with Stafford, Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo in the past, he could do it with Carr.