New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr. Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Saints will save so much money from Derek Carr retirement

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated May 10, 2025 12:06 PM ET

Derek Carr’s retirement from the New Orleans Saints will bring substantial financial gain for the organization.

Carr stunningly announced his retirement on Saturday, citing the injury to his right shoulder as the primary reason. The Saints appear to have worked with Carr to settle any outstanding disputes about his contract, and the settlement financially benefits the organization.

The Saints are allowing Carr to keep the $10 million he received in bonuses for this season. Meanwhile, Carr is giving up his guaranteed money for 2025, saving the organization $30 million.

Both sides gain financially — By retiring, Carr forgoes the $30M guaranteed this season, while the Saints won’t seek reimbursement for the $10M roster bonus and signing bonus. https://t.co/uAyfRErYTZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2025

In addition, the two sides worked together to allow the cap hit to be split over two seasons.

The retirement will be filed after June 1, which lets the team split the cap hit. So, the sides are clearly in accord on all of this and there’s been cooperation on all sides despite speculation.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) May 10, 2025

The Saints opened up a lot of cap room in February by renegotiating Carr’s contract. The quarterback’s retirement figures open things up long-term for the team, as the organization has spent a long time trying to contend and kick cap obligations down the road. Carr’s retirement gives them a bit of a reset on that front.

With Carr stepping away, the Saints theoretically have the cap space to pursue another veteran quarterback.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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