New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday due to a degenerative shoulder issue in his throwing arm.
The 34 year old was set to miss a significant portion of the season due to a rotator cuff injury in his right shoulder in addition to a labral tear, but will instead hang up the cleats to prioritize his health and spend time with his family.
“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League” Carr said in a statement released by the team. “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.”
According to reports, Carr’s injury will require additional surgery after an injection and rehab hasn’t yielded the results that Carr or the Saints medical staff had hoped.
The Fresno State alum appeared in 10 games for New Orleans in 2024, posting a 5-5 record, and throwing for 2,145 yards, 15 TDs and 5 INTs. It was the fewest games Carr appeared in throughout his 11 year NFL career.
The former 2nd rounder spent 9 seasons with the Raiders organization before signing a 4 year, $150M contract with the Saints.
With his retirement, New Orleans’ quarterback room will now feature a total of 15 games of NFL experience between rookie QB Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener. It will be interesting to see whether the club opts to add another veteran signal caller to the mix, or whether they’re content to officially enter the Arch Manning sweepstakes in earnest this season.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.