The Saints rookie minicamp this weekend got rocked with shocking news that quarterback Derek Carr has retired.
“In late March, while ramping up his preparation for the 2025 season, Derek experienced pain in his right shoulder,” the Saints said in a statement posted to social media. “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 December 8, 2024. 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,” the statement continued.
Carr ultimately determined that the injury would prevent him from continuing his playing career.
“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,” the statement read.
New head coach Kellen Moore says Carr has been up front with the Saints the entire time.
“The people that are part of his life have communicated really well with the Saints,” Moore said following Saturday’s rookie minicamp practice Saturday. “I think there’s been really good communication, so we feel like it was done the right way.”
“For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience,” Carr said in his own statement. “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.”
Moore says Carr will be missed.
“You respect and appreciate so much the Derek’s done in this league and for the way he’s done it — the on-the-field performance, the off-the-field person that he’s showcased and the impact he’s had on so many people in this profession — is really, really special,” said Moore.
Moore says the team will be with him as he navigates this next chapter of his life.
“We’re all there for Derek in any way we can possibly help as he goes through this process,” said Moore. “But he’s been phenomenal through this thing. I think this whole organization thinks the world of him. Whatever his next step is, it’ll be an incredible experience.”
Carr’s retirement leaves three quarterbacks in the Saints’ room — third-year pro Jake Haener, 26; second-year pro Spencer Rattler, 24; and rookie Tyler Shough, 25.
“The clarity will provide some of those younger quarterbacks a chance to just get ready from a rep standpoint and opportunity standpoint,” Moore said. “And obviously those guys will be ready and fired up for that.”
The Saints selected Shough in the second round with the 40th overall pick, and Moore said the team was looking to draft a quarterback regardless of Carr’s health.
“Certainly as we went through the draft process, we certainly felt like adding a quarterback to that room would have been very valuable under all circumstances,” said Moore; “and certainly as Derek’s injury became something, obviously there’s a little bit more awareness to it.”
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