Insider updates if Derek Carr could make NFL comeback with team other than Saints in 2026

Shortly after New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr confirmed this past weekend that he was retiring due to reasons related to a significant shoulder injury, whispers emerged suggesting teams could reach out to the Saints about Carr's availability next offseason. 

According to an update shared by NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Tuesday, Carr is ready to begin the next chapter of his life at 34. 

"Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it’s 'extremely unlikely' that Carr will return," Florio reported. "He’s already making other professional plans."

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady was a relatively healthy 44-year-old signal-caller when he retired on Feb. 1, 2022, but then un-retired roughly six weeks later. While he helped the 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers reach the playoffs, he was largely a shell of his former self during his final pro season as he dealt with issues related to his divorce from Gisele Bundchen.

It's unlikely that Carr or the Saints would embrace a reunion if he experiences a change of heart over the next seven months. New Orleans seemed ready to go in a different direction even before the club made Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough the 40th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, and many expect Shough will open the upcoming season as the Saints' QB1. 

"While Carr eventually will land on the Saints’ reserve/retired list, an unretirement in 2026 would likely trigger an immediate release of his rights, given that his 2025 salary of $30M would immediately hit the cap," Florio added. "At most, the Saints would finagle a late-round pick from a team interested in signing him. ...Given that the shelf life for quarterbacks has extended deep into the 30s and, for some, beyond their 40th birthdays, Carr could still play if/when his shoulder is healed. Regardless, it’s 'extremely unlikely' for now."

That "for now" phrase is doing some heavy lifting at a time when one can only guess what teams, if any, could be interested in acquiring Carr following the 2025 season. Perhaps a club that makes a deep playoff run this coming winter will lose its starter to an injury and want to know how Carr's shoulder feels when the new league year opens in March 2026. 

It's worth considering how spending a season away from the NFL for the first time since the then-Oakland Raiders selected Carr in the second round of the 2014 draft might influence whether he's truly retired for good.