Astonishing amount of cash Derek Carr left on the table after shock retirement from the NFL at 34
By BEN NAGLE
Derek Carr walked away from an eye-watering $30million after making the stunning decision to retire from the NFL at the age of just 34, it has been revealed.
The New Orleans Saints quarterback announced the news on Saturday, alongside a lengthy statement explaining his struggles with a degenerative shoulder injury.
And reports are now beginning to surface detailing the exact financial hit Carr will take by opting to hang up his cleats.
Per NFL Network and Pro Football Talk, the four-time Pro Bowler and 11-year league veteran made a deal with the Saints before announcing his decision, in which he would keep his bonus but forego his remaining salary.
Carr was due to earn $30m more on his current deal, and would have been entitled to the cash had he undergone shoulder surgery to repair a labral tear and extensive damage to his rotator cuff.
Instead, he is giving that up, but has agreed with the Saints that he will keep the entirety of the $10m roster bonus he was paid back in March.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has opted to retire from the sport at just 34
The decision comes after Carr and his wife Heather announced she had suffered a miscarriage
New Orleans will also not try to recoup any of the $28.5m signing bonus Carr received when he signed his huge four-year, $150m free-agent contract in 2023.
Had Carr opted for surgery and to take the hefty cash sum, he would likely have had to sit out the entirety of the 2025 season, before then deciding on his future in 12 months' time.
Instead, he released a statement on Saturday explaining his decision to give it up.
'Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather [his wife], I've decided to retire from the National Football League,' said Carr. 'For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience.
'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.'
As explained in the Saints’ statement, Carr began throwing again in March after his 2024 season ended December 8 due to a concussion and a left-hand injury.
The 34-year-old soon began experiencing discomfort in his throwing shoulder and subsequent medical scans revealed ‘significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff,’ according to the team.
Carr’s sudden retirement comes after his recent revelation that Heather recently suffered a miscarriage.
Carr is walking away from an eye-watering $30m after deciding to hang up his cleats
The quarterback released a statement on his decision after discussing with his wife, Heather
The former Fresno State star said they had been scheduled to travel to New Orleans to get a diagnosis on his shoulder injury when he had to rush his wife to the hospital.
Carr, who has been married to Heather since 2012, revealed that neither he nor his wife were aware they were expecting until the medics informed them that the miscarriage was behind her illness.
'So now we're hit with this emotional toll of "wait, we had a child?" So we don't just have four babies, we have five. One is in heaven. We have three boys and a little girl, and we're going to get to meet the other one when we get to heaven someday.
'I say all that to say let's be a people that doesn't judge and point out and think the worst when you don't really know what people are going through.'
Through his career, Carr earned an incredible $195m, first with the Oakland and Las Vegas Raiders, and then in New Orleans.
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