Derek Carr explains why he decided to retire: “I never played just for the money”

The involvement of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in the NFL offseason quarterback merry-go-round was inevitable for several months but few fans imagined that Derek Carr would also be caught up in it.

The reason for Derek Carr’s shock NFL retirement

Carr made the shock decision to leave the New Orleans Saints and retire from professional football in May after 11 years in the league, in 10 of which he started at least 15 regular-season games for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and the Saints.

The exception, of course, was the 2024 season, which he missed a significant portion of due to fitness issues, the most serious of which proved to be a long-standing rotator cuff injury, leading to shoulder pain.

To have any chance of getting back to peak condition, Carr would have had to have surgery, which would have meant missing the whole of the 2025 season. A choice the 34-year-old didn’t feel comfortable with, to the extent that he preferred to call it quits and forego the $30 million he was guaranteed to receive from the Saints this year.

Carr retirement “the right thing to do”

“I didn’t want to have surgery and just sit there and - it sounds crazy but - just take the Saints money,” Carr told Front Office Sports.

“I wouldn’t have been able to play if I had the surgery. 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. I never played just for the money.”

Instead, the Californian opted to give up those $30 million, with the Saints also agreeing not to go after the $10 million roster bonus that would have been forfeited by retiring.

No retirement regrets for Derek Carr

Having had a month to reflect on his decision, Carr, who has started a YouTube channel with brother David, has no regrets.

“My agent literally texted me a few days ago and he said, ‘Hey, just checking it in. How’s everything? You still feel comfortable with the decision?’ And I sent him a picture of me on the beach with my two kids playing. And I said, ‘This beats an OTA any day.’”

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.