NFL Trade News: Derek Carr’s comeback may depend on Aaron Rodgers next move; Here’s what to look out for

Derek Carr does not appear to have much leverage right now. That is the real story. The Saints can hope a market forms for the retired quarterback, but as of March 2026, most obvious landing spots have either filled up or are trending another way.

Per Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football floated the Pittsburgh Steelers as a possible landing spot for Carr. But there is a catch. It only starts to make real sense if Aaron Rodgers retires or walks away from that path. Until then, New Orleans is waiting on another quarterback’s decision.

Will the Saints trade Derek Carr if a real market never forms?

That is the problem. The Saints cannot force value into existence.

Triplett’s read was blunt: "Not seeing a lot of potential destinations left for Derek Carr, assuming the Vikings wind up with Kyler Murray or Kirk Cousins. Maybe just Pittsburgh if Aaron Rodgers retires?"

That tracks with how fast this market has moved. McAvoy pointed to several quarterback situations already shifting, which leaves Carr with fewer clean routes back into a starting job. And Carr has reportedly not been looking to come back just to hold a clipboard. He would need a real QB1 shot.

That is why a trade feels more theoretical than active right now. If Minnesota goes in another direction and Rodgers delays a decision, the Saints stay stuck. If Rodgers retires late and other names are already off the board, Carr suddenly gets more interesting. That is not a strong market. That is a last-man-standing market.

Aaron Rodgers is holding the one card New Orleans actually needs

This is why Rodgers matters so much here. Pittsburgh only feels like a serious Carr team if its own quarterback path collapses.

Molly Bauer also pushed that same idea on March 3, writing that Rodgers is the key to the Saints finding a trade partner. The logic is simple. The Steelers have playoff expectations, proven skill talent, and no reason to hand the season to a weak fallback option if Rodgers is out of the picture.

That does not mean Carr to Pittsburgh is likely. It means it is one of the few scenarios left that sounds realistic.

McAvoy called the Steelers the Saints’ “best-case scenario.” That feels right. It also says a lot about how narrow this has become. Carr’s résumé still carries weight. He has four Pro Bowls and four 4,000-yard passing seasons. But he also has not played in over a year, and teams do not usually pay premium trade value for uncertainty.

So yes, Derek Carr could return. But if Rodgers does not clear the lane, the Saints may be left staring at a trade idea that never becomes a trade market.