NEW ORELANS, L.A.—Saints quarterback Derek Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler during his tenure with the Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders, made the surprising announcement on Saturday that he is retiring from the NFL, citing a significant injury to his throwing shoulder.
In addition to a labral tear and rotator cuff damage in his right shoulder, Carr’s recent injuries also included a significant fracture to his non-throwing hand during a December game against the Giants, prematurely ending his final season.
Rather than undergo shoulder surgery in the offseason that would have likely caused him to miss the entirety of the upcoming season, Carr opted to retire instead.
“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,” Carr, 34, said in a [statement](https://x.com/Saints/status/1921214623396639224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1921214623396639224%7Ctwgr%5Ee8971f10e3399c2cffae68f81a7ad3a5cb833cde%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fnfl%2Fstory%2F_%2Fid%2F45082172%2Fshoulder-injury-forces-saints-qb-derek-carr-retire) shared by the Saints.
While Carr played capably during his time in New Orleans, he will mostly be remembered as a Raider, as his 35,222 passing yards with the franchise are the most in team history.
Carr also threw for the third-most yards in the league since his 2014 debut season, trailing only Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford.
In fact, Carr began his Raiders career on an absolute tear, becoming both the fastest player to reach 25,000 career passing yards and the first quarterback in NFL history with 4,000+ yards in each of his first five seasons.
His level of play during his time with the organization produced a five-year, $125 million contract extension in 2017, making it the largest contract for a quarterback in NFL history at the time.
The former Fresno State product also excelled in college, leading his alma mater’s all-time ranks in both passing yards (12,842 yards) and passing touchdowns (113).
Carr’s retirement adds to a growing list of notable quarterbacks stepping away in recent years, following Matt Ryan calling it a career in April 2024, and Tom Brady and Ryan Tannehill’s retirements in 2023.
As the Saints will now strategize over their Week 1 starter, this news presents a significant opportunity for QB Tyler Shough, the Louisville product selected by the Saints with the 40th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, to step in as New Orleans’ preferred signal-caller.
The Saints will find out their Week 1 opponent when the NFL schedule is revealed on May 14.