FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Former Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement from the NFL on social media Saturday morning.
The 11-year starting QB of the Raiders and Saints experienced a labral tear and degenerative rotator cuff damage to his right throwing shoulder in March, according to a statement from the Saints.
Carr decided to call it a career after weighing his options, one of which included surgery and potentially missing the entire 2025 season.
Carr said in his announcement, “Upon reflection and prayer, and in discussions with [wife] Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League. For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience.”
Carr played nine seasons for the Oakland/LasVegas Raiders and two for the New Orleans Saints. He developed a reputation for leading 4th quarter comebacks with 28 in his career (14th most all-time; tied with Brett Favre).
He guided the Raiders to two playoff berths but only appeared in one postseason game. In 2016, when he finished tied for 3rd in NFL MVP voting and led Oakland to a 12-4 record, he broke his leg on Christmas Eve and missed the Wild Card matchup at Houston.
He received another chance to play postseason football in 2021, when he captained Las Vegas amidst a turbulent season off the field to the Wild Card round at Cincinnati.
He passed for 310 yards and a touchdown in his only playoff action, losing to the future AFC champs, 26-19.
In the prime of his career, Carr displayed durability. From 2017 to 2022, he started 91 consecutive regular-season games for the Raiders, then the longest active starting streak for the same team by any QB.
Only recently did injuries slow Carr down. He missed seven games in 2024 due to injuries to his oblique and non-throwing hand.
Carr finished his time in the NFL with 41,425 career passing yards, 22nd on the all-time list, and 257 passing touchdowns, tied for 22nd as well.
The 4-time Pro Bowler was drafted out of Fresno State in the 2nd round by the Raiders in 2014.
Carr owns the career and single-season passing yards record at Fresno State, as well as the career and single-season passing TD record.
He set 23 more new school records and won two Mountain West championships during his time as a Bulldog.
He told reporters at his year-end media availability in January that he was moving his family to Fresno this offseason.
