Ex-Saints quarterback Derek Carr made headlines when he chose to retire on May 10 from the NFL instead of collecting a guaranteed $30 million paycheck from the New Orleans Saints. After 11 seasons and nearly $200 million in career earnings, the quarterback decided he couldn’t justify sitting on the sidelines in 2025 recovering from shoulder surgery, collecting millions for not playing.
“That part was tough because I didn’t want to have surgery and just sit there and — it sounds crazy — but just take the Saints’ money,” Carr told Front Office Sports on June 4.
The 34-year-old quarterback suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and could have easily cashed in, per the terms of his contract. But Carr said he couldn’t in good conscience take the money knowing he wouldn’t be able to play or help the team. “I wouldn’t have been able to play if I had the surgery,” Carr said. “And then if I tried to play with it, I wasn’t near 100 percent, and so that doesn’t help them, either. I just felt like it was the right thing to do for myself and for the team.”
Instead of remaining on the roster and collecting the rest of his four-year, $150 million deal, Carr took a $10 million roster bonus and retired.
“I never played just for the money,” Carr explained. “I had a whole bunch of people tell me how crazy I was, and ‘Man, I would never have done that.’ That’s all cool, but I’ve gained all these things that the world has to offer, and it doesn’t really do anything for your heart. I knew my heart was at peace, and that’s really all that mattered.”
Carr, a former Las Vegas Raiders star, said he’s now enjoying time with his children and life after football. When his former agent recently checked in, Carr responded with a picture of himself at the beach with his kids. “This beats an OTA any day,” he replied.
But it does seem he might go back to work, this time as a sports commentator.
“I never played just for the money,” he said. “I had a whole bunch of people tell me how crazy I was, and ‘Man, I would never have done that.’ That’s all cool, but I’ve gained all these things that the world has to offer, and it doesn’t really do anything for your heart. I knew my heart was at peace, and that’s really all that mattered.”
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