Derek Carr stunned the NFL world by announcing his retirement this weekend, ending his career far sooner than anyone anticipated. He was injury-prone, but nothing about how Carr's season ended last year suggested it was the last time we'd ever see him on a football field.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans didn't see a ton of Carr after he signed with the Saints, as he faced the team only twice. It's the guy who might replace him, though, that might cause some serious stress.
Former NFL player and current analyst Roch Ohrnberger threw out Aaron Rodgers' name as a potential replacement plan after Carr's retirement, and it makes a lot of sense. All we've heard for months now is that Rodgers was destined to sign with the Steelers -- which is still on the table -- but the lack of urgency on his part makes a little more sense now.
Aaron Rodgers replacing Derek Carr could be a potential nightmare for Buccaneers fans
Initial reactions to the Saints signing Rodgers would likely be met with hardy chuckles and knee-slaps from Bucs fans, but that's a gross miscalcuation of the situation. There's a decent chance that Rodgers flames out like he did with the Jets, but lest we forget how fans reacted to the Bucs signing both Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield and how those situations turned out.
New Orleans isn't as close to a Super Bowl as the Bucs were when Brady arrived, but the core of the roster isn't that bad. It's also not like the NFC South is an unconquerable mountain for a team to climb; Tampa Bay has won the division four straight seasons but hasn't run away with it in a way that suggests Rodgers finding his groove with the Saints wouldn't present a problem.
In fact, it's a potential nightmare scenario the Bucs would probably like to avoid. Just like Brady and Baker, Rodgers would arrive in the NFC South with something to prove and a mighty chip on his shoulder. A motivated Rodgers, even one at this stage of his career, isn't a bear anyone should willingly poke but that would be a scenraio Tampa Bay would need to encounter twice next year.
Again, this could all end with Rodgers looking just as washed as he did last year but it's foolish to simply brush the idea off as nothing to worry about. It would just the Bucs luck to have Rodgers re-discover himself in New Orleans and lead the Saints back to glory in the NFC South.
A lot needs to happen before that's a reality -- from Rodgers actually signing with the Saints to the Bucs opening up enough of a lane for New Orleans to take advantage. The ingredients are there, however, for this situation to become more of a headache than anyone in Tampa would like.
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