If Aaron Rodgers does not to return to Pittsburgh , former Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints Derek Carr could be a fallback option for the Steelers . The 34-year-old quarterback recently declared on his podcast that he's open to coming out of retirement. It would have to be for a contender, however.
"Would I do it? Yes. Would I do it for anybody? Absolutely not," Carr said on the Home Grown with David & Derek Carr podcast. "Would I do it. Absolutely, I would. I told you two things: I have to be healthy, and I'd want a chance to win a Super Bowl. And obviously, that's a tough thing to find. That's hard to do. That's not easy."
Carr announced his retirement from the Saints last spring due to a labral tear in his rotator cuff. Carr opted not to have surgery and retired. He would've missed the entire 2025 season if he got the surgery.
"Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I've decided to retire from the National Football League," Carr said in a statement last May. "For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It's difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us."
Carr said he turned down multiple offers from teams last season.
"I had to say no a couple of times so far," Carr said.
Nick Shook of NFL.com thinks Carr would be an ideal fit with the Steelers.
"The Steelers have made a habit of enlisting mercenary veterans to fill their void under center over the last two seasons and will likely be in the market for another in 2026," Shook wrote . "Pittsburgh lacks a young candidate at the position and maintains an expectation to contend immediately after Aaron Rodgers helped them win the AFC North in 2025, making for a natural fit for Carr — unless, of course, Rodgers returns for a second season.
"There are questions to answer, though, starting with how Carr might align with new head coach Mike McCarthy. On paper, the rest of the situation should entice Carr, including the presence of DK Metcalf and the possibility that Carr could make it a multi-season home if things go well."
November 8 2015: Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) drops back to pass during the first half in the game between the Oakland Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Photo by Justin Berl/Icon Sportswire)
All signs point to the Steelers running it back with Rodgers in 2026.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN outlined the deadline that the Steelers are expecting from Rodgers.
"When they had the exit meetings with the Pittsburgh Steelers players, almost to a man, they all wanted Aaron Rodgers back and the one thing that was conveyed to me was how much respect and love there was from other teammates about Aaron Rodgers and how much they wanted him back and the idea at that point and time was to give him about a month," Schefter said.
"Give him some to think about things, process things, and in that time, they go and hire Mike McCarthy. Now they didn't hire Mike McCarthy to bring back Aaron Rodgers, but I don't think that hurts the situation at all. If anything it helps it.
"Obviously Aaron Rodgers has to decide what he wants to do, but I think the Pittsburgh Steelers absolutely would love to have him back and welcome him back."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Unexpected Quarterback Emerges as Option for Steelers
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