Derek Carr Just Retired With $205 Million Career Earnings — And 0 Playoff Wins

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr shocked the NFL when he announced he was retiring from the league on May 10. Carr, who turned 34 in March, had signed a big deal in 2023 to join the Saints. Yet he was facing shoulder surgery that would have kept him out this entire upcoming season. Rather than face that prospect, Carr opted to walk away from football entirely.

By retiring, Carr is forgoing a guaranteed $30 million from the Saints. However, he will still earn a $10 million roster bonus. That brings his career earnings to $205,666,395—not too shabby for an 11-year career.

When you dig a little deeper, Carr's earnings become even more impressive.

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The Las Vegas (then Oakland) Raiders drafted Carr out of Fresno State in the second round of the 2014 draft. He was named the starter in his rookie year and remained as QB1 virtually his entire time with the franchise. He never played in fewer than 15 games in a single season. By 2022, Carr and the Raiders agreed to go their separate ways, and he joined the Saints for the following season.

Carr made it through 10 games in 2024 before suffering an injury on a scramble play. Doctors diagnosed the quarterback with a labral tear in his right shoulder and hinted that the damage was so extensive that he might not ever return to form.

So, Carr retires with over $205 million in earnings. He ends his career with 41,245 passing yards, 257 touchdowns, 112 interceptions, and a 92.8 passer rating, good for 15th-best among quarterbacks all time.

Even with those solid numbers, Carr's teams never had sustained success. He finished with a 77-92 record and just one playoff appearance. That came in 2021 and ended with a Wild Card loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Carr and the Raiders also played well enough to make the playoffs in 2016, but he fractured his fibula in Week 16. The team never recovered and lost in the Wild Card round.

While the quarterback is only one position, they're the most important player on the field. It's why they make the highest salaries in the league. And Carr made close to a quarter of a billion dollars with zero playoff wins to show for it. His career earnings are 16th among all NFL players in league history.

For perspective:

• Tom Brady earned about $333 million during his career and won 7 Super Bowls.
• Joe Flacco has earned $175 million and won a Super Bowl (and was named MVP).
• Russell Wilson, with two Super Bowl appearances and one ring, has earned $266 million.
• Trent Dilfer, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2001, earned just $20 million total.
• Meanwhile, Sam Bradford earned $130 million over nine seasons, never made the playoffs, and never even played a full 16-game season.

In the end, Carr's career might best be remembered as a case study in how the NFL pays for potential—and how brutal the margins of success are for quarterbacks. He was consistent, respected, and available. But never quite elite. And despite earning more than Hall of Famers like Joe Montana and Brett Favre, he never won a single playoff game.