Faced with a major shoulder injury, veteran NFL quarterback Derek Carr has decided to hang up his cleats. The four-time Pro Bowler, who spent nine seasons with the Raiders and then two with the Saints, announced his retirement on Saturday (May 10).
Carr, 34, said he made the decision “upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather,” his wife. “I sleep well knowing that I gave my teammates, my coaches, and my cities my all,” the QB later shared on Instagram. “Now, I look forward to whatever God has next and I’ll pursue it with the same fire I brought to the field.”
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As ChurchLeaders has reported, Carr is a committed Christian who often preaches and speaks publicly about his faith. The athlete almost chose full-time ministry over football but then realized he could use his sports platform to share the gospel.
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“I think the Lord knew that my heart was his,” Carr told Christian musician Tauren Wells in 2022. “And I’ve been able to minister to thousands of people.”
Injury Prompts Derek Carr’s Retirement
In late March, while preparing for offseason workouts, Derek Carr felt pain in his right throwing shoulder. Tests showed a labral tear and significant degeneration in the rotator cuff. Although surgery was an option, the QB might have landed on injured reserve for the entire 2025 season.
Carr addressed speculation about his injury while preaching at a Las Vegas church on April 27. “We’re figuring it out,” he told worshipers. “I’ve been dealing with people lying about me, and I’m like, ‘Lord, why do I have to continue to deal with this nonsense?” Carr added that amid all the social media chatter, “the only opinion that matters is the Word of God.”
During that sermon, Carr also revealed that Heather, his wife of 13 years, had recently suffered a miscarriage.
On Sunday, Heather posted a video about her husband’s “first day of retirement,” showing him playing and working out with their four children. The now-retired QB also loaded golf clubs into a vehicle, saying, “I’m going to make the tour.”
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