On the morning of May 10 Derek Carr made his retirement from professional football public. This decision concludes his pioneering career, including a recent tenure with the New Orleans Saints. He battled through the adversity of a labral tear and advanced degenerative changes in his rotator cuff. Sadly, these injuries were what led him to make the decision to walk away from the game.
Instead, in 2023 Carr signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints. His retirement effectively costs him his $30 million base salary for the 2025 season — he would not get that money. The latter will still hold a $10 million roster bonus for that same year. For his part, Carr admitted the financial stakes. He was adamant from the start that he didn’t want to just poach money from the Saints’ coffers without making a commensurate contribution.
Carr had spent a lot of time in his head on what to do about his injured shoulder. His own experience with surgery as a possible solution led him to not go through with it. He accepted that if he had the procedure, he wouldn’t be able to play at all. In reflecting on his situation, he stated, “I wouldn’t have been able to play if I had the surgery.”
Trying to play through the serious injury came with its own harrowing set of challenges. Carr acknowledged that to do so would leave him anything but 100%, therefore affecting his own play and the team’s overall success. He explained, “And then if I tried to play with it, I wasn’t near 100%, and so that doesn’t help them either. I just felt like it was the right thing to do for myself and for the team.”
Now that he’s made the decision to retire, Carr is looking forward to life after football, focusing on family and getting the most out of life. He just posted this beautiful image with his two kids on the beach. This moment marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his life. It seems that he has indeed found peace with family time, a welcome distraction from the demands of professional athletics.
Former New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore commended Carr’s commitment while with the team. He wanted to emphasize that Carr “went above and beyond.” Serious about his craft, Carr is ready to take the next step in his career. He’s looking at getting into broadcasting next—probably on the collegiate level—which would keep him close to the game in a different capacity.
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