Derek Carr trades playbook for produce as ex-NFL quarterback embraces 'mini farming' after retirement

Derek Carr, the former NFL quarterback who spent 11 seasons with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and the New Orleans Saints, said he has traded much of his professional routine for what he calls “mini farming,” growing vegetables and tending chickens at his family home after announcing his retirement in May.

Carr, 34, told the Daily Mail that he chose to walk away from football rather than undergo shoulder surgery that would have sidelined him for the 2025 regular season and cost him the chance to play that year. The decision also meant relinquishing a guaranteed salary reported at $30 million.

The retired quarterback said he and his wife, Heather, have converted a portion of their property into a backyard food operation. "We're growing our own food and our own crops in our backyard," Carr said. He described planting watermelon, zucchini, squash, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and peppers, and said the family’s chickens supply about eight eggs a day. Carr acknowledged his wife handles much of the day-to-day care but said he has taken on much of the labor.

The move back to his birthplace, Fresno, California, was revealed in January, and Carr’s retirement was confirmed in May. He said the change required him to find activities that replaced the structure of an NFL routine, where summers were spent throwing and studying film. "I gotta get something to fill that [void]," Carr said. He added that the process-driven nature of gardening appeals to him in the same way the process of football once did.

Carr remains active athletically and socially. He said he has been working to improve his golf game, edging closer to a scratch handicap, and has taken up surfing. He also described family-centered days that include gym sessions, golf, youth baseball drills and tending to his crops. Heather Carr documented what she described as her husband’s first day in retirement, which included time with their four children: Dallas, Deker, Deakon and Brooklyn.

Public engagements and media work have not disappeared from Carr’s schedule. He is set to serve as an analyst on YouTube’s coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers game in Brazil. "I love the brainiac stuff with the game — digging deep," Carr said. He also suggested he may attend NFL games with his children during the season, and acknowledged the difficulty of fully replacing the camaraderie and competitiveness of professional football.

Carr discussed family and competitive life off the field, describing regular contests with his brothers David and Darren Carr. David Carr, also a former NFL quarterback, played 12 seasons in the league. The brothers continue to compete in games and on the golf course, and Carr said the rivalry helps maintain competitive edge.

He said coaching remains a possibility, though he stressed a cautious approach. "Never say never," Carr said when asked about coaching at the highest level. For now, he plans to start with his children’s flag football teams this fall and to run informal "mini-camps" at home.

Carr credited his upbringing and family sports culture with shaping his approach to athletics. He said his father encouraged playing multiple sports, which he believes helped create more well-rounded athletes; the three brothers were Division I scholarship athletes, and two reached the NFL. Carr also cited Kobe Bryant’s emphasis on loving the process as a guiding principle he tries to pass on to his children, cautioning them against becoming attached to fame or financial rewards.

The family has traveled internationally since his retirement, visiting destinations in Europe such as Venice, Rome, Tuscany, Sicily, Normandy and Paris. Carr said he took his children to the beaches of Normandy for a history lesson and attended a Paris Saint-Germain soccer match with them. He recounted a moment at the Vatican when a fan recognized him, underscoring his continued public profile even while traveling.

Carr described his faith as important and said he is considering a future family trip to Israel. He balances public and private life with ongoing commitments to fitness, family activities and media work.

Carr was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft and made four Pro Bowls in his career. He declined the surgery that would have kept him off the field in 2025 and stepped away from a multi-million-dollar guaranteed salary to retire. In his post-football life, Carr said he is filling his time with familiar routines reconfigured around family, small-scale agriculture and selective media and community involvement.

He acknowledged that some gaps remain in his calendar and suggested he will continue to search for competitive outlets and daily structure. "I'm sure I will," he said. "It'll probably be putting."