AĀ recent reportĀ revealed that theĀ Cincinnati BengalsĀ “checked in on” possibly acquiring retired quarterbackĀ Derek Carr before landing veteran Joe Flacco via a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 7.
During a chat withĀ Stephen HicksĀ that ABC30 Fresno aired on Thursday night, David Carr, while grinning, said he could “neither confirm nor deny” the story regarding his brother and the Bengals. David then strongly suggested that Derek is open to returning to the NFL if the right opportunity arises.
What Derek Carr is looking for in next NFL team
“Derek would like to be in a situation that obviously is a team that really needs a guy to come in and take ’em (for) the long haul,” David explained, perĀ Erich RichterĀ of the New York Post. “Thereās a feeling that maybe (Bengals star quarterback) Joe Burrow might come back at some point this year ā at least try to come back. I donāt know if Derek would feel comfortable being in a situation where, say, he was to enter in a team situation where the quarterback was hurt and he drove them all the way in, they got into the playoffs, and then he had to go sit on the sidelines.”
Derek Carr retired as an active player in May due to reasons related to a significant shoulder injury. Still, heĀ admitted in SeptemberĀ that he “wouldnāt say never” regarding a possible comeback.Ā He remainsĀ under contract with the New Orleans Saints, so any interested team would have to make a deal with the Saints for his services before the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
As for Burrow, he went down with a serious toe injury in Week 2 that left him needing surgery. Cincinnati has since fallen to 2-4 and likely won’t rush him back into action if the club is out of the playoff hunt when he’s cleared to play against a live defense.
Is Derek Carr ready to play this fall?
“I think that if a scenario shows itself, which historically those have popped up, and obviously, God forbid you donāt want a quarterback on a team that is a contender to go down, but this stuff happens. So, Derek will definitely be ready if that situation arises,” David added about his brother’s mindset.
That comment indicates Derek has kept himself in solid shape since the spring. WhileĀ ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler mentioned on Wednesday that there’s currently “a scarcity of” noteworthy NFL quarterback jobs available heading into Week 7, history shows that could change on any given Sunday.
