Derek Carr’s shocking retirement was a major story in the 2025 NFL offseason. His 2024 campaign with the New Orleans Saints was cut to just 10 games by multiple injuries, but a shoulder injury popped up after the season.
Carr decided to pass on surgery and $30 million next season by retiring, and he recently opened up about the decision.
Why Did Derek Carr Pass on $30 Million by Retiring?
Carr and the Saints got off to a hot 2-0 start in 2024, scoring 91 total points in the first two games. Things began spiraling quickly, though, as the team lost three straight and Carr suffered an oblique injury in Week 5. The injury kept him out for three weeks, and New Orleans lost all three with Spencer Rattler at quarterback.
Carr returned in Week 9, but the Saints lost their seventh straight game, and head coach Dennis Allen was fired. He played four more games, going 3-1, before a fractured hand and concussion in Week 14 sidelined Carr for the rest of the season.
The 11-year veteran ultimately played well in 2024, finishing 11th in PFSN’s QB+ metric. In 10 games, Carr threw for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He was 11th in expected points added per dropback (0.11 EPA/DB) and finished the year 12th when working under pressure (-0.20 EPA/DB). Carr was also ninth in TD/INT rate (3.0) and inside the top 10 for nYPA (7.5; sixth).
The Saints were competitive with Carr, but Rattler and Jake Haener didn’t win a game in their seven combined starts. Carr still had stuff left in the tank but decided to hang up his cleats rather than undergo surgery.
NFL senior news writer Kevin Patra broke down an interview Carr did with David Rumsey of Front Office Sports. When asked about why he gave up $30 million by passing on the surgery, Carr said, “That part was tough because I didn’t want to have surgery and just sit there and — it sounds crazy but — just take the Saints money.
“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.”
Patra noted that Carr’s retirement decision meant he would pass on the fully guaranteed $30 million in 2025, and that the Saints wouldn’t pursue the $10 million roster bonus Carr forfeited by retiring.
The 11-year veteran said, “I never played just for the money. I had a whole bunch of people tell me how crazy I was, and ‘Man, I would never have done that.’ That’s all cool, but I’ve gained all these things that the world has to offer, and it doesn’t really do anything for your heart. I knew my heart was at peace, and that’s really all that mattered.”
Carr retired after 11 years in the NFL. He spent nine years with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and his final two with New Orleans. He was a highly productive quarterback, but Carr only appeared in one playoff game in his career.
The now former NFL quarterback has quickly taken to retirement. Carr started the “Home Grown Network” with his brother David Carr, and the brothers post videos of their daily life as retired athletes.
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What Is the Saints’ QB Outlook Without Carr in 2025?
Carr’s retirement shocked many of his New Orleans teammates, but the team has to press on with someone else under center. The Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he’s listed as the team’s starter. Rattler and Haener are back for 2025, but Kellen Moore likely wants Shough to take the job.
Despite Carr’s strong performance, the team’s offense finished 22nd in PFSN’s Offense+ metric last season, mostly thanks to the poor QB play when Carr was out.
Shough is a unique rookie at 25 years old. Last season was the only year he played more than seven games, and he threw for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Losing Carr is a tough pill to swallow, but the Saints could be in the mix in the NFC South if Shough lives up to the billing.
