Second Former Raiders QB Could Retire From NFL This Offseason

It’s the time of year when veteran NFL players truly decide if they want to keep playing football or not. Offseason workouts have a way of making the decision more apparent.

Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr decided that he’d rather walk away from football than have shoulder surgery. He might not be the only former Raiders quarterback to call it a career.

Desmond Ridder spent some time with the team last season. They decided against bringing him back under new head coach Pete Carroll. He was supposed to have a tryout at the Denver Broncos’ rookie minicamp, but it was later reported he had to drop out due to a scheduling issue.

However, there may be more to the story. Broncos head coach Sean Payton gave some insight as to why Ridder didn’t end up working out.

Payton stated that Ridder is “possibly thinking about what he wants to do with his career.” That would suggest that the quarterback is at least considering whether or not he wants to continue having a career in professional football.

Ridder hasn’t said anything yet, but it’s been a rocky start to his NFL career. He may decide he’d rather pursue other opportunities.

Derek Carr Was Considering Playing Elsewhere

Ridder and Carr’s situations are very different. The former is likely considering retiring due to it being difficult to find a place where he can compete for a starting job.

Carr is hurt, but it sounds like he may just not want to play for the New Orleans Saints going forward. ESPN reported that the quarterback was at least exploring his options before he ultimately decided to retire.

“Days before free agency in early March, word began to spread within league circles that Carr — heading into the third season of a four-year, $150 million contract he signed with the Saints in 2023 — was open to playing for a new team,” wrote Katherine Terrell and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

“A Carr representative spoke with at least two teams in the market for a quarterback about potential interest in the veteran, according to three league sources. While one of the sources classified the contact as indirect, both front offices were made aware that Carr might be looking for a new playing home.”

Talks Never Got Serious

Though Carr was flirting with other teams, it doesn’t appear he was overly serious about making a move.

“A Saints source said no permission was given in writing for Carr to speak to other teams,” Fowler and Terrell wrote. “A separate Saints source said the team heard whispers of Carr’s flirtation with other teams but didn’t consider it a major issue, in part because Carr, after 11 years in the league and playing through injuries, had earned the right to evaluate his future. Outside talks never reached a serious point, according to sources who have familiarity with the conversations.”

While Carr is retired, this report makes it seem like a comeback wouldn’t be out of the question after taking a year to get his shoulder fully healed without surgery. If the shoulder gets better, he could consider making another run.