Derek Carr had a long and productive career with the Las Vegas Raiders, but his two years with the New Orleans Saints weren’t as successful. Carr had a serious shoulder injury that would’ve required surgery, but instead of going under the knife, he decided to retire.
However, as we’ve seen with plenty of players in the past, retirement doesn’t always mean a career is officially over. Carr is still relatively young at 34, and perhaps a year away to let his shoulder recover could be what he needs to feel refreshed.
Carr is happy in retirement right now, but he recently admitted that he’s not completely ruling out a return to the NFL.
“I wouldn’t say never because I’ve learned that when I say never, it usually happens,” Carr said on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “I think we’ve all probably learned that. So, for me right now, I’m training because I love to train. That’s gonna be the rest of my life. I love to train. I throw a football every now and then out in the front with my kids and with my buddy for fun, because it’s part of my rehab still for my shoulder. I’m still just trying to get that back right from getting the shot and doing the rehab and all that. So I’m still doing those things. And so I always felt like, even though I’m done, if God wanted me to do it, I’ve got to be ready. I don’t want to go out there and not be ready, you know. So I’ll be ready, but I’m not coming back. Like, right now, today, I’m not coming back.”
Could Raiders Be Interested in Bringing Carr Back?
Considering Carr’s shoulder is still not 100%, it’s highly unlikely he’d be able to come back this season and play for a team that might need a quarterback. However, he could be a player to watch in the future.
Carr was honest about the fact that he never wanted to leave the Raiders. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was hoping to go back for one last ride. The problem with that is that Geno Smith is under contract for three more seasons. It’s hard to imagine Carr would come out of retirement to be a backup. If he returns to the NFL, it’s unlikely it would be with the Raiders.
Geno Smith Embracing Raiders
Smith had a solid debut with the Raiders and should only get better. He’s not a massive upgrade over what Carr was for the team, but he’s Pete Carroll’s guy.
Plus, Smith is really embracing the Raiders in his first year.
“That’s how we want to play football,” Smith said after the Week 1 win over the New England Patriots. “We want to make sure that we make the right reads. I want to make sure that I’m making the right decisions and getting the ball into the hands of the playmakers. We’ve got a lot of great players and that’s something that we can take advantage of. I want to spread the ball around if need be but I want to find the open guy, first and foremost.”
Ex-Raiders QB Not Ruling Out NFL Comeback Amid Retirement