Derek Carr prefers the links over the gridiron these days.
The former Raiders and Saints quarterback shockingly retired under mysterious circumstances, giving up $30 million in 2025, and so far, he hasn’t been shown enough to return to the NFL.
“I never say never,” Carr told the NFL Network while adding that teams have reached out. “It would take a special situation. There were multiple teams that reached out to me this offseason. 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’s desires are clear — he wants a chance to win a Super Bowl, and surely there aren’t many teams that are in legitimate championship contention without a franchise quarterback.
“I’m just at the point where I just want to win. I want to win. 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,” Carr said. “I’m having too much fun hanging out with my wife, hanging out with my kids, and trying to get good at golf. So it would take a special deal.”
Carr, 35, appears to be in a holding pattern as teams get through their offseason training programs, which begin in the coming weeks.
It’s no secret that older players prefer to avoid that stretch that can be difficult on their bodies, while there’s also the potential that Carr could fall into a situation where a contending team needs a starter in a pinch due to injury.
“I’m always training,” Carr said. “I’ll be in shape and ready, but probably not. I’ll probably be just coaching my kids.”
Nearly every team will be in offseason training camp by the end of the month, and Carr would probably be the top signal caller on the market if a team needs someone to step in on short notice.
