Major headlines have been dropping this offseason one after the other. First, it was the whole deal with Shedeur Sanders’ draft fall and his future with the Browns. Then, it was Cowboys‘ Jerry Jones’ pivotal move to trade for George Pickens from the Steelers. And now, it’s Derek Carr’s surprising exit from the NFL after a glorious 11-season career. Dealing with a shoulder injury, Carr’s return to the 2025 season had been a big question mark for a long time now.

As the New Orleans Saints now face a crucial fork in the road, their chances for the 2025 season have come under direct fire. But leaving his past behind, Derek Carr is already looking towards the future with a new outlook for his retired life. 

Derek “sustained a labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff. – surgery was an option, jeopardizing the entire 2025 season, yet there was no guarantee…” said a report on the Saints’ official website. But Derek decided not to go for the surgery. On May 10th, he made the announcement. “Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League.”

In the announcement, he also thanked everyone who has been a part of his journey. And just like that, the Saint’s lost their QB. But Derek is “forever grateful and humbled by this experience.” And he looks forward to a quiet life with his family now.

In an IG reel shared by Derek Carr’s wife Heather Carr, we can see Derek gearing up for his first day of retirement. Heather opens the reel with the question, “First day of retirement. What are you gonna do?” Derek looked up from his phone and smiled as he said, “We’re gonna go outside and run as a family.” And that’s what they did. The reel then features a clip of Derek running in the backyard with his 4 kids.

Next in the edition, Derek is seen working out, making it a leg day in his home gym. His kids are there, too. As Carr’s daughter Brooklyn Mae imitates her father working out, the boys Dallas Mason, Deker Luke and Deakon Derek are seen practising their basketball throws. He’s taking retirement in stride as he takes up a more central role in coaching his kids. But the day’s not over.

In the reel, we also see Heather and Derek Carr going on a – as Heather put it, “Date with mommy.” The couple shared a lighthearted moment at a restaurant when Heather said, “I’ll buy you lunch today, but can I use your card?” and Derek hands her his card.

Next up is Derek loading up the car with his golf kit as he proudly makes the statement, “I’m gonna make the tour.” Derek also spent the afternoon playing catch with the kids, and the family enjoyed a nice, eventful dinner together. Next is a clip of Derek watering the plants, and in Heather’s words, “he calls it farming.” The clip ends with Derek playing a game on his PC. That’s quite the eventful day for our ex-QB.

It’s a wholesome sight to see the Carr family enjoying their day together. But the Saints are now facing a major QB decision.

Derek Carr’s payday and the Saints’ future

Derek Carr gets a $10m guaranteed roster bonus which he earned for himself back in March. And he looks forward to retirement. With Carr stepping away from the NFL, a significant cap of $30m has been freed up for the Saints. And the speculations are going wild about who could take Carr’s place in the league. Without Carr, the QB roles fall to Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler, and Tyler Shough. But the trouble starts here. Haener only has two years of experience in the NFL, while Rattler has one. Tyler Shough is coming off an impressive college career as he joined the Saints with their 2nd-round pick. But will his seven-year college career be enough to be given the QB1 role? If not, then who can replace the legend known as Derek Carr?

Analysts and insiders are having a field day trying to answer this very question. With a significant cap space freed, the Saints would either go for a free agent, or make a trade to add a QB. When you look at the free agent QBs, there is one name that jumps up the highest – Aaron Rodgers. But Rodgers has been playing a waiting game with the Steelers, and we don’t know if the Saints will even consider him. If the Saints crash in 2025, they’ll have a first-round pick for 2026. With that, they might even have a shot at securing Arch Manning. With the Manning gene in tow, Arch will certainly bring a lot of hope and expectations to the Saints.

The Saints now face three choices. Stand behind their existing QB trio, decide to trade, or sign a free agent. The fourth option is to play the long game and wait for a player who could eventually lead them to greatness. What will the Saints do? The fans hope to find the answer to this question long before this new season begins. What do you think?