NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Saints quarterback Derek Carr is retiring from the NFL, the team announced Saturday (May 10).

“Upon consultation with his wife, Heather, Derek has decided it is in the best interests of both his family and the Saints organization to retire from the National Football League,” the Saints said in a post on X.

Carr, 34, is calling it a career after 11 seasons with the Raiders and Saints. He played 27 games in two seasons with New Orleans, but his availability for the upcoming season had been shrouded in mystery because of a shoulder injury that neither he nor the team detailed until Saturday.

“In late March, while ramping up his preparation for the 2025 season, Derek experienced pain in his right shoulder. It was his first time throwing a football at significant volume since recovering from both a concussion and left hand injury sustained during play on Dec. 8, 2024,” the team wrote in its statement.

“Derek immediately contacted the Saints medical team. Eventually, medical scans determined objectively that Derek sustained a labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff.

“Since that time, Derek, his representation, the Saints medical team and outside medical experts have worked together to determine the best path forward. Surgery was an option, jeopardizing the entire 2025 season, yet there was no guarantee Derek would return to the level of strength, function and performance of play to which he was accustomed.”

It was the first true moment of clarity surrounding Carr’s off-season injury. Carr made his first public comments about his injury when he spoke April 27 at a church service in Las Vegas. But rather than lift the shroud of secrecy with a clear explanation of the injury and adversity he was facing, Carr instead railed against the media and fans for speculating about how severely he was hurt and whether he would play in 2025.

“We’re figuring it out, and we’re going to go forward with that. Is that OK?” Carr said to the congregation. “I’ve been dealing with people lying about me. I’ve been dealing with people saying this and that. I’m like, ‘Lord, why do I have to continue to deal with this nonsense?’”

New Saints coach Kellen Moore said Saturday, “There’s certainly bad news but (Carr) did everything he could. He’s been great through the whole process and communicated very well. Ultimately, this was the outcome.”

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Carr issued a statement through the team, saying he was “incredibly blessed” and “forever grateful and humbled” by his NFL career.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport first reported the retirement news, saying that with the retirement, Carr will forego the $30 million guaranteed salary for the upcoming season in his recently restructured content, and that the Saints have agreed not to seek reimbursement for the $10 million roster and signing bonus he received in the deal.

Carr’s retirement further clears a path for second-round draft pick Tyler Shough of Louisville to emerge as the Saints’ starting quarterback this season. Shough will compete in training camp with Spencer Rattler, who was 0-7 last season starting in place of the injured Carr, and backup Jake Haener.

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers also remains available, as an unsigned free agent.

Moore said, “We have three quarterbacks right now. We’re ready if the opportunity presents itself. … We’re going to let all three of these guys roll. We’ll let them compete and (the decision) will take care of itself. We feel like we’ve got three great candidates right now.”

Carr passed for 41,245 yards and 257 touchdowns in his 169 career NFL games. He was intercepted 112 times and finished with a quarterback rating of 92.8. He retires with a 77-92 regular-season record as a starter and without having won a playoff game.

The former Fresno State star helped the Raiders reach the playoffs in 2016, but he lost his starting job after the 2022 season and reached an agreement to be released. The four-time Pro Bowler left as the Raiders’ franchise leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and pass completions.

Carr joined the Saints before the 2023 season, reuniting with former Raiders coach Dennis Allen when he signed a four-year, $150 million contract as a free agent. The Saints went 14-13 with Carr as their starting quarterback and Allen was fired after nine games (and seven consecutive losses) last season.

Moore had said in March that he would be “comfortable” with Carr as his quarterback, but the partnership is over before it ever started.

This breaking news story will be updated.

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