Derek Carr is officially returning to the gridiron. But he won’t be strapping on his pads and cleats to play in the NFL. Instead, the former Pro Bowler quarterback has chosen to wear a whistle and a coaching hat after accepting a role with UCLA, firmly closing the door on his playing days to focus on mentoring the next generation. 

“I’m taking my talents to Southern California,” Carr revealed on the Home Grown podcast. “I am going to be coaching at UCLA and helping (as a) special advisor to the head coach. I have six teams come with different, like, ‘Hey, we want you to come be our quarterback. Here’s what it looks like. Here’s our plan, here’s it.’ It didn’t work out, for one reason and another. Hope the best for all parties.

“I am coaching. I want to coach. I’ve made that abundantly clear to the people closest to me. It’s going to be awesome. So, I’m excited for the Raiders, excited for the Bulldogs. But I’m really excited for UCLA, man.”

Despite being just 34 years old, Carr decided to retire permanently. And the reason is degenerative rotator cuff damage and a tear in his labrum. ESPN’s Ian Rapoport previously clarified that the former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback tried to move through rehabilitation and injections. But a surgery was necessary for complete recovery. Yet, that didn’t succeed in bringing him back to the league. On May 10, 2025, he officially hung up his cleats. 

Back in July, during an appearance on the Good Morning Football show, Carr revealed that multiple franchises had aggressively reached out to him during the offseason to orchestrate a comeback. While he refused to reveal specific names, he claimed they were solid, competitive teams.

However, because his shoulder prevents him from throwing effectively, his only viable path back onto an NFL roster would have required him to transition into a special teams role. But even that wasn’t a guaranteed move to the final roster. 

While the NFL loses a seasoned signal-caller, the UCLA Bruins are acquiring an enormous asset for their offensive staff. Across 11 professional seasons, Carr threw for 41,245 yards and scored 257 touchdowns. He even earned four Pro Bowl nods. Now, he’s looking forward to meeting Bruins GM Darrick Yray. 

“I’ve known Darrick [Yray] for a long time and have great respect for the work he’s done throughout his career,” Carr said in his announcement. “The opportunity to help Coach Chesney, the staff and the quarterbacks at UCLA was one that really excited me. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences and helping support the program in any way I can.” 

By embracing his new advisory role at UCLA, Carr has gracefully ended the talks about his NFL future. Regardless of that, his football acumen will continue to influence the world through his coaching skills.