After speculation on his future this past offseason with the New Orleans Saints, former veteran quarterback Derek Carr decided to retire, but is now open to a potential return. According to a report, the four-time Pro Bowler isn’t closing the door on playing football again, and that doesn’t mean he will go back to the Saints. Carr was exploring other options before deciding to retire since his injury, as he knew the Saints were heading into a rebuild year under head coach Kellen Moore. Originally selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the former Fresno State product became a reliable franchise signal-caller for the Las Vegas Raiders, helping the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Carr continued to strive and help the Raiders become a worthy team to talk about until following the 2022 campaign. The former quarterback was no longer able to live up to those expectations, losing his starting job, and agreed to a release after that season. It’s going to take time for Carr to return, as it probably won’t happen this season since the veteran is still recovering from a rotator cuff injury. The former Raider and Saint could receive interest at some point once he’s healthy, and these three potential teams could target him when he feels ready.
“I Wouldn’t Say Never” – NFL Veteran Derek Carr Open to Possible Return
Potential Next Teams
Carolina Panthers
It’s still too early to see what happens with Carolina Panthers Quarterback Bryce Young, but if he continues to trend downwards, then the team might open to benching him. Despite extending Andy Dalton to a new deal as their bridge backup, he isn’t guaranteed to take this offense to a postseason, even though he has experience and weapons like Tetairoa McMillan to get there. Dalton is past his prime, and they must be in search of a temporary veteran quarterback while they wait until next year’s draft.
This is all speculation for now, as Young could turn it around. If the Panthers continue to be the same next year, then they should probably check on Carr to see if he’s healthy and ready to go for at least one more season.
Cleveland Browns
Meanwhile, this wouldn’t be a surprising move from the Browns. After trading away Kenny Pickett and sticking with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, Carr could be the latest veteran who might emerge as the starting quarterback. Sanders is arguably the better quarterback over Gabriel in the right situation, so he could be a possibility for the long term in Cleveland. However, it’s really anyone’s job up for grabs, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Carr joins the Browns on at least a two-year deal to somehow revive the offense.
Indianapolis Colts
Just like the Panthers, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback situation is still up in the air. Despite a dominating Week 1 performance from Daniel Jones, the biggest question is whether he can stay consistent. Anthony Richardson will probably face a possible trade since he has several chances to be a reliable quarterback in Indianapolis. If everything fails this 2025 season, they could sign Carr at some point during next offseason.
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