Report: Joe Burrow-less Bengals checked in on recently-retired Saints QB Derek Carr

Joe Burrow is working his way back for the Cincinnati Bengals, and the latest reports say they hope he’ll be back on the field by Thanksgiving Day — or the following week. He may not have full mobility while working with a metal plate in his shoe to reinforce his injured foot, at least not right away, but his return is on the horizon.

But when his future was less certain, the Bengals explored all options — including a recently-retired Saints quarterback. They ultimately landed on Joe Flacco, but Derek Carr checked some boxes for them, too, despite his decision to step away this season and rest his injured shoulder.

“Essentially what they did in canvassing the league, was calling every team that had three quarterbacks or a viable practice squad option. Including Davis Mills, Sam Howell, I’m told they checked in on Derek Carr,” said NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. “Who of course would have to be a trade with the New Orleans Saints, he retired with them. They landed on Flacco, wanted someone who had played recently, which is why they didn’t check in on Ryan Tannehill.”

The Saints processed Carr’s retirement papers on June 3, which shaved $30 million off their ledger for 2026 while essentially making him a free agent (but as Rapoport noted, any team acquiring him would have to trade the Saints something). He’s available to hear out offers from interested teams and, when he’s ready, choose to return. But the Saints do control his rights through 2026. So he could very well choose to rest that injured throwing shoulder another year and plan a comeback for 2027.

For his part, Carr has already said he’ll “be ready” when the time is right, though he clarified in September that a 2025 return was out of the question. If he’s confident his shoulder can hold up and the right opportunity presents itself this spring, or a year from now? That’s a different question.