The Pittsburgh Steelers may have another veteran option at quarterback this offseason.
There is still a strong belief that the Pittsburgh Steelers will run it back with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2026. However, if Rodgers ultimately decides to hang up his cleats for good, they may just turn their sights onto another retired quarterback.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz , there is a strong belief that former New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is very serious about coming out of retirement and returning to the NFL for the 2026 season.
Carr, 34, announced his retirement from the Saints last spring after he suffered a labral tear in his rotator cuff. He opted not to have surgery, but he would have missed the entire 2025 season if he got it, anyway.
Carr recently admitted that he is open to coming out of retirement for the right opportunity, though.
"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."
It's unclear what Carr's market would look like if he were to make an NFL comeback. He threw for just 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games before his 2024 season was ended due to injuries.
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)
However, in a year that the free agent and rookie draft classes seem to be underwhelming, there may be more interested teams than one may think.
The Saints do still own Carr's rights, so it would take a trade to land the four-time Pro Bowler, but it's surely a deal New Orleans would be willing to execute with Tyler Shough primed to be its starter in 2026.
A second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Raiders, Carr has thrown for 41,245 yards, 257 touchdowns and 112 interceptions in his professional career.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Report: Strong Belief Veteran QB Will Come Out of Retirement
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