Does insider think Derek Carr could unretire, play for team other than Saints in 2026?

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr confirming over the weekend that he was retiring due to reasons related to a significant shoulder injury seemed to be the final chapter of a saga that had hovered over the Saints since the end of the 2024 regular season.

However, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated hinted in an article published on Monday that teams around the league may have reason to believe Carr could end his retirement as soon as next year.

"[The Saints] negotiated the deal to move on where the team won’t go after the $10M roster bonus it already paid out for 2025, and Carr will walk away from the $30M that he could’ve gotten simply by having surgery and going on injured reserve," Breer explained. "A win-win it is not. But it’s a tenable ending for a situation that long seemed completely untenable. And if some team decides, for one reason or another, it wants to call the Saints to see if Carr would be available down the line, we’ll see what happens."

That last part is interesting, as Breer seemingly had some inside information regarding the Carr-Saints story before it was learned that the 34-year-old was dealing with a shoulder issue that could sideline him for at least part of the upcoming campaign. Carr was reportedly open to a trade before the Saints restructured his contract in March, and New Orleans more recently made Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough the 40th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

While ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted on Sunday that in-the-know people revealed they "would be pretty surprised if" Carr attempted to return at some point, Fowler added that the veteran is "still one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league" and simply didn't have "a clear-cut home" beyond the 2025 season. 

"Carr wanted affirmation from new coach Kellen Moore that he was the guy moving forward," Breer added in his piece. Some think that Moore has already chosen Shough to be New Orleans' full-time replacement for Carr. 

The Saints began Monday holding Carr's rights through 2026, but history shows that wouldn't stop a quarterback-needy team from reaching out about his services next offseason. It's far too early to guess which clubs could be interested in Carr come January, but it sounds like some within the NFL aren't convinced he's truly taken his last meaningful in-game snap at the highest level.