Derek Carr hasn’t completely closed the door on an NFL return, but he has made it clear the league would need to offer him the right kind of reason to walk back through it.
The former Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints quarterback revealed that multiple teams contacted him this offseason to gauge whether he would consider coming out of retirement.
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Carr, 35, shocked the league in May 2025 when he stepped away because of a serious shoulder injury, ending an 11-season career that included four Pro Bowl selections and more than $205 million in earnings.
His latest comments don’t sound like a quarterback trying to force his way back into the league, but more like someone content with retirement, and still willing to listen if a contender suddenly needs him.
“I never say never,” Carr told Good Morning Football. “It would take a special situation.
“There were multiple teams that reached out to me this offseason,” Carr added. “I won’t say who or how, but they reached out and were gauging my interest on what I wanted to do. They were good, solid football teams.”
Carr only wants right football fit
The key issue isn’t whether Carr misses football. It’s whether any opportunity could match what he wants at this stage of his life.
After spending most of his career trying to stabilize franchises and chase postseason relevance, Carr said any comeback would have to give him a genuine chance to compete for something bigger.
“I’m just at the point where I just want to win. I want to win,” Carr said. “So if I were to do it, it would have to be a special team that maybe lost somebody or needed somebody, but even then, it’s not guaranteed.”
That standard makes a return difficult. Carr isn’t looking for a rebuilding job, and most contenders already have quarterbacks in place. His most realistic path back would likely require an injury to a starter on a playoff-caliber team.
Even then, Carr made it clear he’s not sitting at home desperate for the phone to ring.
“I’m having too much fun hanging out with my wife, hanging out with my kids, and trying to get good at golf,” Carr said. “So it would take a special deal.”
Retirement still seems most likely
Carr’s retirement came after doctors identified a labral tear and degenerative rotator cuff damage in his throwing shoulder. He walked away from $30 million in guaranteed salary with the Saints, while keeping a $10 million roster bonus as part of the retirement agreement.
That decision gave his exit more weight. Carr didn’t leave because no team wanted him. He left because the injury made the next step uncertain and because he no longer wanted to play under the wrong circumstances.
Statistically, he would still be one of the most accomplished emergency options available. Carr finished his career with 41,245 passing yards, 257 touchdowns and long stretches of dependable starting play.
But his own words suggest the comeback door is only slightly open.
“I’m always training,” Carr said. “I’ll be in shape and ready, but probably not. I’ll probably be just coaching my kids.”