SI

Saints Quarterback Derek Carr Shockingly Retiring From NFL, per Report

Josh Wilson

Carr spent 11 years in the NFL
Carr spent 11 years in the NFL / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
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Derek Carr is retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons, according to a Saturday morning report from NewOrleans.football owner and writer Nick Underhill. The Saints confirmed the news in a statement shortly after Underhill's reporting.

"Carr tried all his options to get back on the field and ultimately decided against having another surgery and will retire," Underhill said in a post on X Saturday morning.

He added the Saints will recoup the money from a contract restructuring the organization agreed to with the quarterback this offseason.

The team's statement detailed the shoulder injury Carr experienced as he returned to throwing in March, in which the medical team discovered a lateral tear and, "significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff." Surgery would have sidelined him for all of 2025, which had been reported previously, with, "no guarantee Derek would return to the level of strength, function and performance of play to which he was accustomed."

The injury was the source of much speculation with the team reportedly unable to get substantial clarity on the status of the ailment heading into the draft. New Orleans drafted Tyler Shough out of Louisville in the second round, adding to a depth chart that features Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.

Carr added in the Saints' statement, "Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heater, I've decided to retire from the National Football League. 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."

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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Josh Wilson
JOSH WILSON

Josh Wilson is the news director of the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in 2024, he worked for FanSided in a variety of roles, most recently as senior managing editor of the brand’s flagship site. He has also served as a general manager of Sportscasting, the sports arm of a start-up sports media company, where he oversaw the site’s editorial and business strategy. Wilson has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from SUNY Cortland and a master’s in accountancy from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois. He loves a good nonfiction book and enjoys learning and practicing Polish. Wilson lives in Chicago but was raised in upstate New York. He spent most of his life in the Northeast and briefly lived in Poland, where he ate an unhealthy amount of pastries for six months.

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