Andrew Buller-Russ
Even though it’s hard to see a clear path to accomplishing their goals, the Minnesota Vikings want to add another quarterback this offseason. Being over $40 million over the 2026 salary cap will make acquiring any talent a challenge, but there are avenues the Vikings can take to get below the spending limit. That may include moving on from a few Pro Bowl players in the process.
While players cannot be signed until March 11, the Vikings’ front office has been busy doing its homework until the free agency negotiation period kicks off on March 9. However, the team has also been looking into a retired NFL QB too.
According to The Athletic‘s Jeff Howe, the Vikings have been doing “background work” on Derek Carr.
“Speaking of the Vikings, they’re scouring every possible option to compete with J.J. McCarthy. The 2024 first-round pick has dealt with injuries and performance issues, and O’Connell wants a veteran who is capable of winning the starting job if McCarthy doesn’t progress. The Vikings have done background work on Carr, who has been retired for a year, so they’ve cast a wide net. The plug-and-play option with Murray could also make a ton of sense.”
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe on Vikings/Derek Carr
Carr is retired, but if he does unretire, he’d still be under contract with the New Orleans Saints with a cap hit of over $30 million. Since the Saints are set to move forward with Tyler Shough as the franchise quarterback, it could make Carr available via trade. Or, the Saints could prefer to release Carr for the cap space if no trade materializes. After all, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has reported that the Saints have yet to receive any trade inquiries for Carr.
Thus, the Vikings could indeed be gathering some intel on Carr, whether it’s inquiring about his playing shape, the condition of the injured shoulder that led to retirement, or even trying to gauge his interest in playing for Kevin O’Connell. Ultimately, the Vikings have a lot to consider when chasing after a soon-to-be 35-year-old who hasn’t played football in over a year.
Related: 5 Likeliest Kyler Murray Free Agency Landing Spots After Cardinals Release
