Less than a week ago, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr made the shocking announcement that he was retiring from football at age 34.
And despite some speculation that his retirement may not be a permanent decision, his brother David Carr recently said he believes the decision is final.
Speaking on NFL Network, David Carr said about his brother Derek, “He’s definitely done playing. He’s moved on. His family, his boys and his little girl are getting older and they’re getting to the point where they want to have dad around more, and that means more to him than anything else.”
David, a former No. 1 overall pick who played 10 seasons in the NFL, said the decision to walk away from the game wasn't easy for his younger brother, and that he worked with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis to reach an agreement that worked for both sides since the decision came in early May.
Doubts about Carr's ability to play this season first surfaced in early April, when it was revealed he had been dealing with a shoulder injury that left him unable to throw a football. Further scans revealed a tear of his labrum and degenerative changes to his rotator cuff.
Rather than having surgery or allowing the shoulder to heal on its own — a process that likely would have left him physically diminished as a passer — Derek Carr decided to retire.
"It was something he had to think long and hard about, there were a lot of different things that factored into it," David Carr said. "His children are getting older. … His shoulder wasn’t what it was before, and when he tried to ramp up throwing again this year, it just didn’t feel right, it never felt comfortable. And he knows how hard it is to go through an NFL season fully healthy, as opposed to trying to struggle your way into getting ready to play Week 1.
“It was time. He’s very content with where he is."
The Saints went 14-13 in two years with Carr as the starting quarterback, while Carr threw for 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
New Orleans is going into the season with the intention of allowing No. 40 overall pick Tyler Shough to compete for the starting job against Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.