Derek Carr coming out of retirement has been a popular recently, but all that chatter could stop after ESPN analyst Jeremy Fowler's recent report. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback isn't alone in his interest to join the Minnesota Vikings. It's actually quite the opposite.
Carr is being relatively close to the vest with teams he'd be interested in. His criteria for a return is the only thing he's overtly given up. Carr wants to be a starter for a team that could contend for a Super Bowl. The latter part alone makes a return a longshot. It's hard to see a team that's a Derek Carr away from the big game, but Carr is supposed to have high confidence in hisself.
That's all Carr outwardly forthcoming about, but he and his brother not so subtly put the Minnesota Vikings on the shortlist of teams Carr would play for. David Carr mentioned "purple and gold" to which Derek responded "Go Lakers." It was very similar to when Deion Sanders said he liked Colorado's colors on Shedeur to suggest the Saints should draft him.
Derek Carr to the Vikings may have just taken a hit
J.J. McCarthy is hardly a solidified option for the Vikings, and analysts are throwing every quarterback option in Minnesota's direction. Fowler is just one of the latest. He said, "My sense right now, from asking around is all the top quarterbacks that will be, or could be, available, Kyler Murray, Geno Smith, this is the place they want to go. It is Minnesota"
This report works for and against Carr. It does suggest that the Vikings are open to a move at quarterback. That's the best news Carr can hope for. The one team he identified as an option has been identified as a destination. With that much smoke, there is likely fire as well. All these quarterbacks aren't vying to go to the Vikings if there isn't a belief McCarthy can be supplanted.
It’s not difficult to see why quarterbacks would line up to go to Minnesota. There’s not a quarterback on any level of football that wouldn’t want to throw to Justin Jefferson. As for the Vikings, they have a receiver who can claim to be the best in the league and are a year removed from being one of the best NFC teams. You need to strike while the window is open.
However, it's hard to imagine Carr as the top option for the Vikings. If Carr was running unopposed, or even slightly opposed, the path makes more sense. Carr isn't an upside player. He's someone who can eliminate the volatility at the position. There's other players who are volatile but raise your ceiling more than Carr.
Even players like Mac Jones feel like the new age reclamation projects that have worked recently. These are attractive long term futures, opposed to a short-term rental in Carr. If the Vikings want a safe option, Carr is the way to go. If they're feeling more risky or in search of a boom prospect, Carr will be spending more time on the couch.