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New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler, is calling it a career at the age of just 34, he announced on Saturday. Carr, who signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints prior to the 2023 season, cited recurring shoulder injuries as the reason for his early retirement.
The move comes just weeks after New Orleans used the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select quarterback Tyler Shough out of Louisville. Shough was expected to compete with Carr, as well as second-year QB Spencer Rattler, for the Saints’ starting job. However, Carr is obviously out of that equation now.
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
Derek Carr And Saints Point To Shoulder Injury As Reason For Sudden Retirement
New Orleans posted news of Carr’s retirement on its X account on Saturday morning. In the post, the Saints revealed that Carr experienced pain while beginning to throw in March and preparing for the 2025 season. Doctors then determined that Carr sustained a torn labrum and had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff.
“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” Carr said in a statement. “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.”
The NFL world was stunned by the news.
Wow 👀👀 https://t.co/U3UAJgmwJz
— Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) May 10, 2025
Whoa! https://t.co/PUFUF1Q066
— Rich Ohrnberger (@ohrnberger) May 10, 2025
The most confounding athlete I’ve rooted for on one of my teams. Because he was actually pretty good. But he was also pretty bad. Schrödinger’s Carr. https://t.co/d0UQEptOhr
— Michael Ritter (@MikeSteveRitter) May 10, 2025
By retiring, Carr misses out on the $30M he was guaranteed for the 2025 season. But he did cash in to some degree. New Orleans announced that it won’t seek reimbursement for the $10M roster bonus and signing bonus he recently triggered.