Due to a shoulder injury sustained last season, Carr is stepping away from the NFL.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has announced his retirement from the NFL.
Derek Carr has announced his retirement.
In late March, while ramping up his preparation for the 2025 season, Derek experienced pain in his right shoulder. It was his first time throwing a football at significant volume since recovering from both a concussion and left hand… pic.twitter.com/SrcJEzDDnU
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) May 10, 2025
Carr said in a statement released by the Saints, “Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League. For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”
In March 2023, Carr signed a four-year, $150M contract with the Saints but unfortunately, his time in New Orleans did not go as expected. After starting the 2023 season 2-0, Carr suffered a sprained AC joint to his right (throwing) shoulder in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers. At other points during the season, Carr also suffered two concussions and fractured ribs, but he did not miss a game, starting all 17 weeks.
Carr finished the 2023 season with 28 TDs, INTs for 3,878 yards and a 57.3 QBR.
The Saints began the 2024 season 2-0, putting up 91 total points in their first 2 games, but they would soon find themselves on a shockingly unexpected 7-game losing streak.
In Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Carr suffered an oblique injury which would cause him to miss the next 3 games. Carr returned in Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers but then in Week 14 against the New York Giants, he suffered a concussion and also fractured his left hand, which put an end to his season. It is believed that this game is where Carr also injured his shoulder.
Carr missed 7 games and finished the 2024 season with 15 TDs, 5 INTs for 2,145 yards and a 63.4 QBR. Though two seasons in New Orleans, Carr posted a 14-13 record.
Earlier this March, the Saints restructured Carr’s contract thus helping their salary cap situation. Then on April 11, just 3 days before the Saints were to report to voluntary workouts, the news came out that Carr was dealing with a right shoulder injury that could threaten his availability for the upcoming season. Carr and the Saints had been in constant contact about the injury and were exploring options on what would be best for them both moving forward. Now after further testing, it seems that scans have revealed that Carr has a labral tear and degenerative changes to his rotator cuff thus leading to his deciding to retire.
With the announcement of Carr’s retirement, the Saints will recoup $30M in cash and cap relief and Carr will keep the $10M roster bonus he received from the team in March.