John Breech from CBS Sports listed the Atlanta Falcons as a potential destination if Derek Carr decides to return from retirement. Recently, Carr publicly announced he'd be willing to come out of retirement return to the NFL after his one-year hiatus under two conditions:
"I'd have to be healthy and I'd want a chance to win a Super Bowl," Carr said.
Based on all reports, Carr is fully healthy entering this offseason. The second part of the equation is the difficult one to justify his joining the Falcons. While the Falcons have the tied-best odds in the NFC South to win the Super Bowl in 2027, it's still a long shot in a division that's wide open.
If you recall, the Seahawks had +6000 odds prior to the 2025 season to win Super Bowl LX, so odds really mean nothing. In the NFL, there is so much parity and turnover from year to year that it's difficult to predict success.
Derek Carr has too many reasons to want to turn heel and join the Falcons
With that being said, Carr has a lot to like about the Falcons' Super Bowl odds in 2026, despite what the sportsbooks say. Atlanta has elite playmakers like Drake London, who has a fantastic catch radius and Bijan Robinson, who is an all-world player with dynamite movement and eluding prowess.
Defensively, this team is night and day different than when Carr last played in the NFL. The Falcons broke the franchise sack record and boast a third-round rookie who pulled in five interceptions. From the Falcons' perspective, this is a no-brainer. Michael Penix Jr. may not be ready for Week 1, but even if he is, no one knows if he's the future in Atlanta.
His powerful arm is exciting, but his deep ball accuracy is brutal. He's played just a dozen games over his two-year NFL career thus far, and hasn't flashed enough to provide the confidence Kevin Stefanski needs to give him a long leash.
No matter how much the new regime loves Penix, Carr would be a fantastic addition. The 11-year veteran played nine strong years with the Raiders before playing two years with the Saints. Through his two years in New Orleans, Carr was 14-13 with a 68.2 completion rate and a 40:13 TD: INT ratio. Even into his early thirties, it's clear Carr has a bunch of juice left in the tank if healthy.
After an injury in 2024, he abruptly retired in the middle of his four-year, $150 million contract.
If the Falcons were to acquire Carr, they would need to trade with the New Orleans Saints, since he's still under contract until 2027. Whether the Saints would agree to a deal is a different question, but Atlanta must inquire regardless. With Kirk Cousins soon to be out of the picture, the Falcons need to bring in a cheaper, veteran option to either lead Penix to success or take over the starting job.