Saints’ Derek Carr shares eye-opening reason for turning down $30 million

Former Saints QB Derek Carr has a selfless reason for his shocking retirement from the NFL this offseason after his shoulder injury.

The New Orleans Saints are heading into a season of uncertainly after a roller coaster of an offseason. After it was revealed that quarterback Derek Carr had a shoulder injury that was going to keep him out for most or all of the 2025 campaign, the veteran signal caller suddenly retired from the game.

While Carr's decision to step away from the game was a shocking one that has big implications on the field, it is also a key in his financial life as well. The decision to retire in the middle of his current contract will cost Carr about $30 million.

After the decision, Carr explained why he felt it was right to leave that money on the table, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

“I didn’t want to have surgery and just sit there and — it sounds crazy but — just take the Saints money,” Carr said.

Carr's shoulder injury flared up over the offseason and could have required surgery to heal. After a 2024 season that was already riddled with injuries, Carr would likely have had to rehab the entire 2025 season and get ready for 2026.

Whether he got the surgery or not, Carr would not have been able to contribute in 2025, and that is part of the reason why he decided to turn down the money and retire.

“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.”

Now, the Saints will have to choose between Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough as the starting quarterback. Rattler showed flashes last season, but was up and down throughout the end of the season. However, he has a big arm and could improve in year two.

The Saints picked Shough in the second round out of Louisville, so its is very likely that they will want to see what they have in him at some point this season. Whether that comes at the start of the year remains to be seen, but he should be on the field sooner or later.