"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 $30 million would immediately hit the cap. At most, the Saints would finagle a late-round pick from a team interested in signing him."

There is some precedent for quarterbacks making a return to the NFL at age 35 or older. Tom Brady announced his retirement in February 2022 only to announce his return 40 days later. Brett Favre retired and returned multiple times prior to his final NFL season in 2010. But neither of those situations involved Carr's shoulder injury.

Derek Carr sent shockwaves through the NFL on Saturday when he made the decision to retire after 11 seasons. Although he's now done with football, it doesn't look like Carr is going to have much free time on his hands.