Now months removed from the end of the 2024 season and months before the ’25 season kicks off, the business of football keeps humming along. Here are a few stories that have caught my attention lately, with my perspectives and insights.
Derek Carr’s gift to New Orleans
Derek Carr ended his NFL career this weekend, retiring due to degenerative changes to his shoulder. Instead of surgery or other options, Carr chose to retire from football.
As regular readers in this space know, I talk a lot about Business of Football Hall of Famers. Carr, with over $200 million in earnings for a career with mixed results, will receive strong consideration for induction. However, from a purely business of football point of view, he certainly did not act like a Hall of Famer with this retirement. And that is an admirable thing.
While Carr is not returning any of the $10 million roster bonus he received in March, and the New Orleans Saints will not pursue any of the $28.5 million signing bonus Carr received two years ago, Carr is still leaving money—a lot of money—on the table. He could have made another $30 million over the next seven months without anyone—fans, media or even the Saints—questioning it. That is the amount of guaranteed salary he was scheduled to receive for 2025, a salary that could only have been voided by one thing (besides bad behavior): retirement.
Carr could have either undergone surgery or gone through other medical options with rehab through the next eight months. He could have been around the Saints, mentoring and assisting their three young quarterbacks, including second-round pick Tyler Shough. He could have been, in essence, a $30 million quarterbacks coach, in meetings, in the film room and on the sidelines. From a business of football perspective, that would have been the optimal result. But Carr opted against that, choosing to forego $30 million to move on with the rest of his life.
Yes, Carr is still in strong consideration for my next Business of Football Hall of Fame class. However, he could have been a lock by simply staying with the team a few more months. The fact that he didn’t makes him less wealthy as a businessman, but more impressive as a person.
Justin Tucker being cut
Justin Tucker will go down as one of the greatest kickers in NFL history, certainly the greatest in Baltimore Ravens history. But in light of recent headlines about his behavior and the team’s actions in the draft, his fate was sealed with the Ravens.
Tucker has been accused of inappropriate conduct by 16 massage therapists at several Baltimore-area spas. Although the events allegedly happened many years ago, they came to light this offseason, which coincided with (1) a subpar 2024 season from Tucker, and (2) the Ravens drafting a kicker in the sixth round.
When I was working for the Green Bay Packers, we drafted Mason Crosby in the sixth round, and that was the end of any competition at the position. Picking a kicker in the sixth round is like picking another position in the second round; they will make your team. As of the moment of that draft pick, Tucker was done in Baltimore.
I often say that lesser talent means lesser tolerance for off-field issues. Were this a few years ago, greater talent would equal greater tolerance for Tucker. Now, with a downturn in performance last year, there is not enough talent to equal tolerance with the reports about his behavior.
Cowboys’ shrewd move
Like so many, I have been hard on the Dallas Cowboys’ front office decisions and the dragging of their feet on negotiations. But I am now impressed with what they did in the trade for former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens.
By getting past the draft without trading a pick in 2025, the Cowboys “stole” a round. A third-round pick in ’26 is roughly equivalent in value to a fourth-round pick in ’25, if that. Thus, the Cowboys acquired Pickens, a highly talented receiver, essentially for a fourth-rounder, if that.
And by not negotiating a new contract, the Cowboys have Pickens in the last year of his very reasonable rookie contract, another strong value for the team. Yes, they may be required to “pay up” next year, but that is better than doing so now without Pickens having to prove himself to the team for a year.
I like this for the Cowboys. It’s low risk, potentially high reward.
Bill Belichick’s muse
This is the strangest transformation of a sports personality I have ever seen.
Belichick, who couldn’t be bothered to do more than mumble to the media for 20 years, became a loquacious media member in 2024, talking on multiple national media outlets every week. And after two cycles of NFL teams not being interested in hiring him, he uprooted this year to coach UNC in Chapel Hill, taking with him his sons (assistant coaches), his general manager Mike Lombardi and, of course, his girlfriend, whom he has referred to as his “creative muse.”
Listen, I am not here to judge. It is a relationship that is obviously working for both of them. But now she has clearly become more than a girlfriend. She was reportedly the reason HBO scuttled the Hard Knocks appearance for UNC, as she reportedly wanted creative control. And she visibly tried to steer the CBS interview last weekend, an interview Belichick and his team requested to talk about his new book (although she couldn’t get Belichick not to wear a sweatshirt with a hole in it).
Again, not judging, but my sense is something has to change. It appears that Belichick, who has spent a career controlling everything in his organization, can’t seem to control his publicist or social manager or whatever else she is.
RFK redux
Among my fondest childhood memories were of going to Washington football games with my father at RFK Stadium in the southeast region of the city. We were diehard fans, and part of the appeal was that venerable facility, which literally rocked as we rooted for our beloved team.
Now 30 years since the team played there, the Commanders appear to be coming back to it with a new, 65,000-seat stadium on the grounds where RFK Stadium used to be. Of the $3.8 billion cost, Commanders owner Josh Harris will contribute $2.7 billion, the largest ever ownership contribution to a public/private partnership, with the District of Columbia poised to contribute $1.1 billion. Opening is targeted for 2030.
The proposed venue will have a translucent roof, making it amenable to many indoor events and, according to Roger Goodell, “dramatically” increases Washington’s chance to host a Super Bowl. There will certainly be hurdles and much neighborhood opposition—the project also includes plans for 5,000 housing units—but there will be strong advocacy here as well.
The transformation of the franchise and the removal of the stench of previous owner Daniel Snyder continues for a team fresh off the NFC title game and, with budding superstar Jayden Daniels at quarterback, certainly poised for multiple national broadcast appearances in 2025.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Business of Football: Derek Carr Gave a Gift to the Saints.