Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Saints hold the rights to a Derek Carr who is seeking a Super Bowl run elsewhere, but his no-trade clause complicates moves.
- Several contenders like the Chiefs and Eagles could benefit from a backup plan at quarterback, especially after injuries to their starters last season.
- Teams weighing a trade must consider the financial implications and potential strategic advantages of securing experienced depth before the season begins.
Retired New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr wants back in the game — just not with his current team.
The 34-year-old said in February he'd return to football if he could play for a Super Bowl contender. New Orleans still holds his rights and he possesses a full no trade clause so any kind of comeback would need to be facilitated via a mutually acceptable swap. His lofty desire seems to have turned off any suitors as Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported Saturday no teams have contacted the Saints about his availability.
Instead, they've seemingly opted for free agent replacements. From the Minnesota Vikings (Kyler Murray) to the Miami Dolphins (Malik Willis) and to the Atlanta Falcons (Tua Tagovailoa), the list of landing spots has dwindled. Even the New York Jets preferred trading for their old starter in Geno Smith.
Trading for Derek Carr is a big brain move for Super Bowl contenders
That leaves serious non-contenders like the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers left on the market. The former is engaging in a "soft tank" so they can be taken off the table. The latter, however, would traditionally be considered a contender in a wide open AFC race.
If nobody else wants him and Pittsburgh is still without a starter (with the exception of placing their hopes in drafting Alabama QB Ty Simpson), Carr may have only the black and gold to court.
But for the sake of this exercise, let's evaluate the true contenders who don't have to view Carr as a high-priced, high-risk investment. Instead, he's simply a backup investment in the event their starter goes down mid-season.
The terms of Carr's contract would most likely be renegotiated so that he's less of a financial burden. That being said, it would be shocking if the Saints don't retain some of his cap hit to facilitate a deal. He'd be a much cheaper acquisition prior to the season than if a team waits for the moment of desperation mid-year.
But if a team is confident in their starter's health, why not play some 4D chess and screw another contender over by taking Carr off the market so he can't be used against them? These teams should consider all the angles.
Indianapolis Colts
We all thought the Colts were going to cruise to the AFC's No. 1 seed midway through last season and then QB Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. I'm not saying Carr would've stepped right in and kept Indianapolis on course but he probably would've been better than turning to 44-year-old Philip Rivers.
With Jones returning to full health on a new two-year deal, the Colts have indicated they are done with 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson as an alternative. Why not solve two problems with one trade by sending Richardson to New Orleans for Carr and a conditional 2027 first-round pick?
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were a shell of their Super Bowl dynasty selves last season and just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse, Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL. With backup Gardner Minshew also injured, head coach Andy Reid was stuck with third-stringer Chris Oladokun and that... didn't go well.
Minshew signed with the Cardinals in free agency, leaving Mahomes with just Oladokun to lean on. The Chiefs have ample draft capital to send New Orleans for Carr and could even finesse a swap of selections instead of being the only one to lose any in a deal. Carr can't be any worse than Oladokun and Kansas City is certainly one of those franchises that would play the long game in making him unavailable to other teams (or driving up his price to sell at the deadline).
Philadelphia Eagles
Tanner McKee is the only other QB behind Jalen Hurts at the moment after Sam Howell signed with the rival Dallas Cowboys. That's not a terrible option in the event the latter suffers a season-ending injury but Carr would be better.
Let's say the Eagles manage to retain wide receiver A.J. Brown amid trade speculation and internal frustration. Carr knows how to manage a system offense with elite weapons. He's previously played with Davante Adams and Chris Olave so Eagles fans should be confident in his ability to step in and at least stop any bleeding from a Hurts absence.
Buffalo Bills
The window is probably closing for the Bills and Josh Allen but, God forbid, their best QB since Jim Kelly suffers the same fate as Mahomes last year. In that event, the franchise simply cannot turn to Kyle Allen to save the day.
Buffalo is in a weird situation where it's definitely a contender but there are key pieces that look susceptible to being moved now that head coach Sean McDermott is gone. WR Keon Coleman is one of them and could be seen as a way to reap more value from a trade for Carr. The 2024 second-round pick could rake in at least that whether in this year's draft (if traded before April) or in 2027 (if before the mid-season deadline).
Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford just won league MVP but without him, the Rams are definitely not playoff material let alone Super Bowl contenders. His backup is Stetson Bennett and the quality of weapons Los Angeles owns would be insulted by having to turn to him.
Speaking of those weapons, Carr would be reunited with Adams in such a trade and who knows what kind of resurgence the latter could bring his old friend. Of course, that pairing would only occur in the worst of situations. Carr could ease the severity of such a scenario and be given a chance to prove he's still got what it takes.