If the New Orleans Saints had a nickel for every time that one of their retired quarterbacks was floated in a trade rumor on Tuesday ahead of the NFL trading deadline, they’d have two nickels.
That’s not a lot, but it’s weird that it has happened twice.
There has been the suggestion, technically started on Monday Night Football, that the Minnesota Vikings should see if Drew Brees will come out of retirement to play quarterback up north.
And the latest update came on Tuesday afternoon, involving Derek Carr.
Derek Carr Update
Carr retired surprisingly before the 2025 season when the Saints may not have really seen it coming.
At the time, Carr was facing a long injury recovery, and he chose to step away from the game while he dealt with throwing shoulder struggles.
Carr has been floated a couple of times since then as a potential candidate to return from retirement. Carr himself has even made it sound like something he would consider.
That’s not going to be happening now, though, based on the latest updates.
First, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio posted this on X:
“Per source, Vikings have not contacted the Saints about QB Derek Carr. Because he’s on the Saints’ reserve/retired list, a trade would be required.”
Then, Saints beat writer Nick Underhill weighed in with this:
“This feels like the kind of scenario where Carr would consider coming back. And this feels like the team that should be calling on him. I doubt it would cost a whole lot, either.”
Florio’s report suggests that nothing is coming with Carr, but it’s interesting that Underhill at least seems to think Carr could still consider a return at some point.
How Saints Would Be Involved
If Carr returned, his rights would technically belong to the Saints. He was still under contract when he retired, so he was placed on the New Orleans reserve/retired list.
That means that if Carr comes back, he’s essentially back on the Saints contract he was on before he stepped away. And so any Carr comeback would have to come with a trade to move him to a new team (or a release by New Orleans).
Carr couldn’t just sign freely elsewhere without the Saints first doing something.
For now, though, it seems to be a moot point.
Decision Made on Saints QB Derek Carr Return From Retirement