Why Derek Carr turned down $30 million to retire

Why Derek Carr turned down $30 million to retire

Derek Carr might be the most noble man in football. 

The former Saints and Raiders quarterback told Front Office Sports in an interview this week that part of his decision to retire was related to not wanting to just get a big check from the Saints. 

“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 said. 

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks to pᴀss the ball during an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Dec. 8, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J.
Derek Carr looks to pᴀss the ball during the Saints’ win over the Giants on Dec. 8, 2024. AP

The QB retired in early May and gave up $30 million by opting against having surgery to repair a shoulder injury that would have forced him to miss all of the 2025 season. 

Carr had two years left on his four-year, $150 million deal he signed in 2023 with New Orleans. 

The 34-year-old explained that he wanted to do the “right thing” by the Saints. 

“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.”

Carr did keep a $10 million roster bonus that he received in March, according to FOS, but the quarterback’s motives for playing have never been solely about money. 

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) reacts after his first down carry in the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024.
NDerek Carr celebrates after his first down carry in the second half of the Saints’ loss to the Rams on Dec. 1, 2024. AP

And he joked that he has heard from a “whole bunch of people” tell him that he was “crazy.” 

“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 said. 

Carr played 11 years in the NFL, spending nine with the Raiders organization and the last two with the Saints. 

He threw for 4,1245 yards and 257 touchdowns over the course of his career.

Related Posts

New York Giants guard with iconic SNF intro adored by fans retires from football at 35

New York Giants guard with iconic SNF intro adored by fans retires from football at 35

Former New York Giants first round pick Justin Pugh has announced his retirement from the NFL. The offensive guard and Pennsylvania native, who turns 35 in mid-August,…

Taylor Swift’s boy toy! Travis Kelce ‘looks like he’s 20’ after losing weight in offseason, says Chiefs coach

Taylor Swift’s boy toy! Travis Kelce ‘looks like he’s 20’ after losing weight in offseason, says Chiefs coach

Travis Kelce’s gruelling summer is already paying off on the football field, his Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has said. Kelce, 35, nearly retired after the…

NFL WAG reveals why partners ‘go into meltdown’ when training camp begins

NFL WAG reveals why partners ‘go into meltdown’ when training camp begins

With NFL training camps officially underway, it’s a time of the year the wives and girlfriends of players go weeks without seeing their partners and husbands. It’s…

Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl winner Jordan Hicks retires from NFL at age 33

Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl winner Jordan Hicks retires from NFL at age 33

Jordan Hicks, a Super Bowl winner with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, has retired from the NFL at the age of 33. Linebacker Hicks, who had been…

Controversial NFL star Azeez Al-Shaair risks ban for wearing ‘Free Palestine’ cleats to training camp

Controversial NFL star Azeez Al-Shaair risks ban for wearing ‘Free Palestine’ cleats to training camp

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has once again courted controversy after training in cleats bearing a divisive political message at training camp. The linebacker, who triggered outrage from…

Wan’Dale Robinson, Andru Phillips put on receiver-cornerback show at Giants training camp

Wan’Dale Robinson, Andru Phillips put on receiver-cornerback show at Giants training camp

You got me. … I got you.  That is the way it went down Thursday as two good friends and Giants teammates squared off at training camp….