Derek Carr announces his retirement

Derek Carr’s NFL career has come to an end.

Carr and the Saints announced on Saturday morning that he is retiring as a result of a right shoulder injury.

“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” said Carr. “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 said he first felt pain in his right shoulder in March when he began throwing a football for the first time since his season ended with a concussion and a left hand injury in December. He informed the Saints’ medical staff of the pain and they diagnosed him with a labral tear and degenerative changes to his rotator cuff.

After additional testing and consideration of surgery and other options, Carr decided the best option was to stop playing.

It’s unclear what type of contractual agreement Carr and the Saints have come to. Carr was slated to cost more than $20 million against the Saints’ salary cap this year and a whopping $69 million against the cap next year.

Carr’s retirement leaves the Saints with three quarterbacks on their roster: 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough, 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler, and 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener.