NEW ORLEANS — Derek Carr, the seasoned quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, has decided to retire following a labral tear in his right shoulder coupled with significant degenerative changes in his rotator cuff, according to an announcement from the team on Saturday.
Carr, aged 34, has been a professional player for 11 seasons, initially drafted by the then-Oakland Raiders from Fresno State in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft.
He joined the Saints as a free agent in 2023, achieving a 14-13 record as a starter. However, his tenure in New Orleans was marred by oblique, hand, and head injuries that led to him missing seven games in the previous season.
Carr, starting the third year of a four-year, $150 million deal, experienced unexpected shoulder pain during offseason training, leading to a diagnosis that ultimately curtailed his career.
Surgery was considered an option, but it risked sidelining him for the entire 2025 season without a promise of regaining his former performance level, the Saints stated in a press release.
The team did not disclose Carr’s injury until the eve of this year’s NFL draft in April. Carr remained silent about the injury until several days later when he addressed it during a guest sermon at a Las Vegas church, asserting his critics were “lying” about the injury’s timing and both his and the team’s initial withholding of information.
Over his career, Carr amassed 41,245 passing yards, 257 touchdowns, and 112 interceptions. The four-time Pro Bowler steps away with a 77-92 regular-season record and 0-1 in playoff games.
Carr explained his decision was made with input from his wife, Heather, and “upon reflection of prayer.”
“For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed and are forever grateful for this experience,” Carr expressed. “Words cannot fully convey our gratitude to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials, and especially the fans who made this journey so special.” Carr continued, “I sleep well knowing that I gave my teammates, coaches, and cities my all.”
The announcement also aligns with New Orleans entering its first season under coach Kellen Moore and drafting Louisville’s Tyler Shough with a high second-round pick.
With Carr’s retirement, Shough, informed just before rookie camp practice, will now have a shot at vying for a starting position.
“All I want is an opportunity,” stated 26-year-old Shough, whose past collegiate career spanned seven years among Oregon, Texas Tech, and others, often sidetracked by injuries. “I’ve been at points in my career where I was itching to get on the field because I was injured. I’ve been both a backup and a starter, so I understand those dynamics and believe I can thrive in any role.” Shough added, “I’m just really excited for the chance to prove myself.”
Other quarterbacks currently on the Saints’ roster include Spencer Rattler, a second-year player, and Jake Haener, a third-year player, who collectively failed to secure a victory in seven games last season, six of which were started by Rattler.
Carr’s retirement “provides these younger quarterbacks a chance to prepare and seize their opportunities,” said Moore. “Those guys will be ready and eager for that.”
Moore remained noncommittal about possibly signing a seasoned veteran QB through free agency, stating, “We’ll certainly be aware and ready if an opportunity arises.”
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1966, only 12 quarterbacks not drafted in the first round have begun their rookie seasons as starters. Carr was one such player, alongside the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott in 2016, when Moore was among the reserve QBs in Dallas.
Prescott, “selected in the fourth round, did not foresee being a starter that year,” Moore recalled, having coached Prescott as Dallas’ quarterbacks coach in 2018 and as offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022. “Everyone comes from different paths.”