Derek Carr walked away from the Saints and $30 million guaranteed last offseason after doctors found a labral tear and rotator cuff damage in his throwing shoulder. That looked like the end. Instead, it's turning into one of the more interesting subplots of the 2026 offseason, because Carr's phone apparently hasn't stopped ringing.
The report that kicked off the latest round of Carr comeback chatter.
According to the report, multiple teams have reached out this offseason just to gauge where Carr's head is at, and he confirmed it himself: it would take a "special situation" to pull him back onto a football field. That's not a no. It's also not exactly a yes. Carr has reportedly told teams the answer is "obviously" yes if the fit is right, while also admitting he's had to turn a couple of suitors down already.
The health piece matters here. Carr's shoulder is reportedly responding well since he shut things down, and he's said to be throwing without limitations again. That's the difference between this being a legitimate storyline and just noise — a team isn't calling a guy who can't throw.
His asking price sounds simple on paper: be healthy, and have a real shot at a Super Bowl. That second part is the sticking point for a 4-time Pro Bowler who's never gotten past a divisional round in his career. Teams dealing with shoulder injuries and shaky quarterback rooms this year have reportedly circled back to Carr as a break-glass option, which tracks — a proven vet who knows a playbook cold is a lot more appealing than throwing a banged-up backup into a playoff race.
Where it goes from here is the fun part. Carr spent the back half of his career with Klint Kubiak calling plays, and Kubiak is now a head coach elsewhere, which is the kind of connection that tends to turn "special situation" talk into an actual contract. Nothing's imminent, but the fact that Carr is even entertaining it — and that teams keep calling — means this isn't going away quietly.