Derek Carr Comeback In 2026 ‘Extremely Unlikely’

Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a return to the NFL in 2026 for Carr is “extremely unlikely” as he’s already making other career plans post-football. Florio acknowledges things could change the longer Carr is away from football, but an unretirement doesn’t look realistic as of now. 

Carr, 34, is a former second-round pick of the Raiders back in 2014. He was in the final year of his contract when the Raiders signed him to a five-year, $125 million extension that included $70 million guaranteed in 2017.

Carr stood to make a base salary of $19.77 million in the final year of his contract and was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension. 

However, the Raiders released Carr the following season, and he signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the Saints. 

He was due a base salary of $40 million and $50 million in total in the final year of his contract in 2026. 

In 2024, Carr appeared in ten games for the Saints and completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 1,926 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four interceptions.

For his career, Carr appeared in 169 total games for the Raiders and Saints for a career record of 77-92. He completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 41,245 yards to go along with 257 touchdowns and 112 interceptions.