New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr shocked the football world last offseason when he suddenly retired. The Saints eventually moved on with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who’s emerged as the team’s next franchise quarterback.
But Carr recently opened the door to a very intriguing idea. He’s contemplating coming out of retirement if he’s traded to the perfect situation with the perfect team.
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Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton recently suggested the Saints’ dream trade scenario would be any deal that sends Carr to a new team.
Saints would benefit from any kind of Derek Carr trade
Dec 15, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) after a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
“On the Home Grown podcast, with his brother David Carr, Derek Carr confirmed that he’s open to coming out of retirement, though he would only do it for a team that could win a Super Bowl,” Moton wrote. “Carr’s specification narrows down the list to playoff contenders such as the Indianapolis Colts, if they don’t re-sign Daniel Jones, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers.
“The New Orleans Saints have their starting quarterback in Tyler Shough, who took over the job midway through his 2025 rookie season and improved through the second half of the campaign. Yet they still hold Carr’s contractual rights, so if the 34-year-old comes out of retirement, his new team would need to trade for him. This year, Carr’s contract counts $36.7 million in dead cap on the Saints’ books. New Orleans would get some cap relief if a club acquires him.”
Since the Saints have already found Carr’s replacement, they’d have no use for him. But if they can land a third or fourth round pick for him, it would boost their draft capital without losing anything of substance from the roster.
It would basically be like the Saints were able to add an additional draft pick or two for free. Carr isn’t a part of their plans. Trading him would benefit them in a big way.
As of now, it’s unclear if this is a realistic idea. There are a few teams who could make sense as a landing spot for Carr, but a lot of other dominoes would need to fall before a trade could come to fruition.
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