Total Pro Sports
Former Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr stunned the world over the weekend when he announced his retirement, citing the nagging injury in his right throwing shoulder.
It was previously reported that Derek Carr’s 2025 season was in jeopardy because of the shoulder injury. Still, it was a surprise when he opted to walk away at the age of 34, largely because Carr also left $30 million on the table.
But not everyone is fully convinced that Carr has played his last NFL snap. Among former quarterbacks, Tom Brady’s initial retirement lasted only 40 days, and Brett Favre un-retired how many times again?
Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, NFL analyst Ross Tucker said he isn’t “a hundred percent convinced” that Carr will stay retired. Tucker noted that players don’t “voluntarily” give up $30 million and thinks that New Orleans may have threatened to file a grievance if Carr underwent surgery and went on the injured reserve.
“NFL players do not voluntarily give up $30 million. Nobody does. Which means that the Saints…”
“I'm not 100% convinced that Derek Carr never plays football again…”@RossTuckerNFL gives his thoughts on the Derek Carr retirement news:@LabattUSA #ad MSG 21 pic.twitter.com/t28Sy1w0aF
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) May 12, 2025
Derek Carr’s wife, Heather, posted a heartwarming family video detailing his “first day of retirement.” Obviously, this suggests that Carr is content about retirement and isn’t actually eyeing a return to football:
Carr had two years remaining on the four-year, $150 million deal he signed with New Orleans in 2023 free agency. The Saints used a second-round pick on Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough, joining a QB room with sophomore Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener.
Carr earned four Pro Bowl nods and led the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders franchise to two playoff appearances during his nine seasons with the franchise. They never won a playoff game under his guidance, but Carr should be remembered fondly by Raiders fans as a player who provided long-term stability at the position.
He retires as the Raiders’ all-time leader in completions (4,958), passing yards (35,222) and passing touchdowns (217).
Also Read: New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr Shares Heartbreaking Personal News
