But this news is important for the Falcons for reasons that go far beyond this year's playoff picture, or even this year at all. It might be a long shot, but Carr's retirement could well help answer Atlanta's thorniest question of the offseason: How will the team manage to extricate itself from Kirk Cousins?

The Atlanta Falcons ' chances of winning the NFC South just went up slightly now that New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has announced his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons. Carr has been battling a shoulder injury that, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, would have required surgery.

After 11 NFL seasons, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement. Carr has been dealing with a shoulder injury throughout this offseason, and rather than getting surgery and missing the entire 2025 season,