It's been looking like Derek Carr's 2025 season was in jeopardy for weeks, but it turned out that his career was what was in jeopardy. The New Orleans Saints announced on Saturday that Carr has decided to retire from the NFL.
He could've undergone shoulder surgery, but that wasn't a guarantee to get him 100% again. Instead, he'd rather walk away from football.
Though he retires as a Saint, Carr's ties to the Las Vegas Raiders run deep. One of the players who played with Carr, who is still in Las Vegas, is star defensive end Maxx Crosby. He had a simple message for Carr following the big news.
maxx crosby derek carr
Maxx Crosby with Derek Carr.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
"Congrats on retirement," Crosby wrote on his Instagram story.
Crosby and Carr played four seasons together on the Raiders and went through a lot. They were together for the move from Oakland to Las Vegas, the Jon Gruden email scandal, the Antonio Brown tenure and so much more.
The two only got to play in one playoff game together.
“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 Saints. “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.”