Despite some interest in his services last season, Derek Carr decided to stay retired. He made the decision to walk away from football prior to last season due to a shoulder injury, but is healthy now.
Even though he’s feeling good, he still hasn’t officially come out of retirement. That doesn’t mean the former Las Vegas quarterback hasn’t had some opportunities.
There are always teams that need quarterbacks, and Carr is almost certainly still one of the top-32 quarterbacks in football. However, he’s not going to return just to return.
He spent the majority of his career with the Raiders and only had two winning seasons. He also didn’t win during his brief stint with the New Orleans Saints. Carr recently admitted that teams have spoken to him, but he’s waiting for the right situation before he makes the decision to come out of retirement.
“I never say never,” Carr told “Good Morning Football. “It would take a special situation. There were multiple teams to reach out to me this offseason, and I won’t say who or how, but they reached out and were just gauging my interest. … They’re good, solid football teams, but a couple of them in some different situations. I think I’m just at the point where I just want to win.”
Will Carr Return This Season?
Carr is certainly young enough to keep playing quarterback, but at 35, he likely only has a few years left where he can be an effective starter. Plus, it’s easier to come back from one year away from football than two.
If he wants to play again, this would be an ideal time to return. He’s healthy and still young enough to be able to endure a season. Now, it’s fair that he’s waiting for the right situation.
There’s no reason for him to come out of retirement just to join a losing team or a team that has another starter. That said, being picky may cost him some valuable years.
Which Teams Could Give Carr a Call?
If the goal is to start this season, that’s going to limit how many teams will be interested in Carr at this moment. Most teams already have a pretty good idea of who will be their starter this season.
Carr may be holding out for a team that could bench their starter or suffer an injury. One team that is very interesting is the Houston Texans. They are one of the best teams in the NFL, but C.J. Stroud is coming off a rough season. If he’s bad to start the year, perhaps the Texans might want to call up Carr.
The Minnesota Vikings should also have Carr on speed dial. Kyler Murray is the likely starter this season, but he hasn’t been a consistent player. The Vikings have a playoff roster, so if quarterback is holding them back, then Carr could make sense.
If Carr decides that he’s not stuck on the idea of having to join a contender, the Arizona Cardinals could offer him a path to a guaranteed starting spot.
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