Vikings Get the Landing Spot Treatment for Retired Player
The Minnesota Vikings already have an aging roster, but they reportedly want to add another older player this offseason to elevate the quarterback room beyond J.J. McCarthy. Last week, reports surfaced about Derek Carr’s potential return to the NFL after a one-season absence.
And yes — Minnesota is already being mentioned.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook named four franchises that could become Carr’s next stops and the Vikings were included.
Shook wrote, “If Carr is interested in manning a backup role that could include a camp competition for the starting job, he’ll find that in Minnesota. J.J. McCarthy didn’t cement his role as the Vikings’ franchise quarterback in his first season as their starter and has plenty of work ahead of him this offseason. Minnesota might not exercise as much patience in 2026, either, not after they watched their playoff hopes evaporate this past season because of unreliability under center.”
Carr wouldn’t unretire to hold a clipboard, but there’s still a chance the Vikings would just hand him the job for a year and pause the McCarthy era, while letting him grow behind the scenes. It’s unusual, but it could make sense for the 23-year-old who struggled in his first real NFL campaign after missing his true rookie season with a knee injury.
Green Bay sat both Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love for three years and prepared them in the shadow of a couple of Hall of Famers. Carr isn’t that, but he’s a solid option for a year.
Shook added, “Carr would address Minnesota’s need for a proven veteran capable of handling the job — an area which former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted he’d misjudged prior to being fired in January — and could also push McCarthy in camp. Carr might also be enticed by the presence of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Ultimately, this fit might depend on whether Carr is interested in competing for a job, or if he’d rather walk into a situation that has him penciled in as QB1. Money matters, too, and the Vikings have a salary cap hole to dig out of before they can start thinking about Carr.”
Restructures, extensions and selective cuts could create flexibility quickly.
Other teams listed by Shook were the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Jets.
Just in 2024, Carr passed for 15 touchdowns and five picks in ten starts for the Saints. The offense fell apart when several weapons were injured, and later, even Carr went down. He has always been a solid quarterback, generally ranking in the range of 10th to 15th among NFL signal-callers and his last couple of NFL seasons in New Orleans didn’t show much decline either. It’s not hard to think he has some gas left in the tank.
His shoulder, which prompted retirement, seems to be in a good place, according to NFL insiders Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport, and Mike Garafolo.
The trio reported last week, “Carr, 34, decided to retire last May due to a labral tear in his shoulder and damage to his rotator cuff, which could have been repaired via surgery but would’ve put his season in jeopardy. Since then, Carr took several months off to rest and sources say his shoulder has responded well, leading Carr to slowly begin rehabbing as the season unfolded. His shoulder has now improved to the point where he is throwing fully as part of his regular exercise routine. Teams have learned Carr currently has no shoulder limitations.”
Veteran Carr wants to go to a franchise that can do some damage and the Vikings have the defense to make a playoff run. What’s missing is the offense. Carr could stabilize the offense and raise its floor immediately. Veterans have fared extremely well under Kevin O’Connell’s guidance and the club has the weapons a passer needs to thrive.
The pairing makes sense on paper, but it all depends on whether the Vikings are ready to pause, or even end, the McCarthy era just 10 games in. The quarterback question remains the focal point of Minnesota’s offseason.
Carr will turn 35 in March. He has thrown for 217 touchdowns and 99 interceptions in his career.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.