HEARTBREAKING NEWS: New Orleans Saints Quarterback Derek Carr Shares Heartbreaking Miscarriage Story While Facing Uncertainty Over Shoulder Injury During Visit to NOLA

Saints QB Derek Carr Faces Heartbreak and Uncertainty: A Miscarriage Revelation Amid Shoulder Injury Challenges

April 29, 2025 – New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has always been known for his resilience on the field, but a recent revelation during a church sermon in Las Vegas has shed light on the profound personal and professional challenges he’s currently navigating. In a heartfelt moment shared with the congregation at ChurchLV, Carr disclosed that his wife, Heather, suffered a miscarriage while the couple was scheduled to travel to New Orleans to address his lingering shoulder injury. The emotional toll of the loss, coupled with uncertainty about his future with the Saints, paints a picture of a man grappling with adversity on multiple fronts.

The revelation came through a post on X by MLFootball (@_MLFootball) on April 28, 2025, which included a photo of Carr with his family on the field—Heather and their four children, all wearing Saints gear, smiling despite the unseen struggles they were enduring. Carr’s words, as quoted in the post, resonate deeply: “We don’t just have 4 babies, we have 5. One is in heaven. We’ll get to meet the other one when we get to heaven.” The statement reflects Carr’s strong Christian faith, a cornerstone of his life that has often guided him through turbulent times, both in his career and personal life.

The timing of the miscarriage was particularly poignant. Carr explained that he and Heather had planned to travel to New Orleans to meet with team doctors about his shoulder injury, which has cast a shadow over his availability for the upcoming 2025 NFL season. However, Heather began experiencing health issues, leading to an emergency room visit where they learned she had miscarried. “So now we’re hit with this emotional toll of ‘wait, we had a child?’” Carr shared during his sermon, highlighting the unexpected nature of the loss. The couple, who have been married since 2012, already share four children—Deakon Derek, Deker Luke, Dallas Mason, and Brooklyn Mae—but the miscarriage added a fifth child to their family, one they believe they’ll meet in the afterlife.

This personal tragedy comes at a time when Carr’s professional future is under intense scrutiny. The Saints, coming off a disappointing 5-12 season in 2024, drafted Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round (No. 40 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft, a move that has fueled speculation about Carr’s role with the team. Carr, who signed with the Saints in 2023 after a nine-year tenure with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, has been absent from the team’s facility since the offseason program began. While the Saints have confirmed Carr’s shoulder injury, they’ve remained tight-lipped about its severity, with head coach Kellen Moore stating the team will “let that process play itself out.” General manager Mickey Loomis, however, has maintained that Carr remains the starter, though Shough’s arrival signals a potential shift in the team’s long-term plans at the quarterback position.

Carr’s sermon didn’t shy away from addressing the media speculation surrounding his injury and his future with the Saints. He expressed frustration with reports, particularly from ESPN, that he felt misrepresented his situation. “I say all that to say, let’s be a people that doesn’t judge and point out and just think the worst when you don’t really know what people are going through,” Carr urged the congregation. His words underscore a broader message about empathy, a plea for understanding amid the often harsh criticism that comes with being a high-profile athlete. Carr’s career stats—over 4,800 passing yards in his peak 2021 season with the Raiders and a franchise-record 70.4% completion percentage in 2019—speak to his talent, but the narrative around him in New Orleans has been complicated by injuries and inconsistent team performance.

The X post by MLFootball sparked a wave of reactions online, with fans and fellow players offering prayers and support for the Carr family. “Terrible news. Prayers going out to your family,” wrote @BSBSports24, while @KennyKing_Jr echoed, “Terrible. Sending prayers to the Carr family.” However, not all responses were sympathetic—some comments, like one from @corlad1988, took a more critical tone, referencing Carr’s on-field struggles: “Quite shocked he has so many kids considering he misses the target a lot.” The mixed reactions highlight the polarized nature of public discourse around athletes, especially those like Carr, whose personal faith and family values often contrast with the cutthroat expectations of professional sports.

Beyond the personal loss, Carr’s shoulder injury remains a significant concern for the Saints as they head into the 2025 season. The team has already invested in their offensive line, selecting Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick in the draft, but questions linger about the roster as a whole. The defense is aging, and key receivers like Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have struggled with injuries. If Shough, a highly regarded prospect with the experience to potentially start as a rookie, takes over, the Saints could be looking at a rebuilding year—a scenario that might not align with Carr’s immediate goals as a 34-year-old veteran aiming to reclaim his status as a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback.

For now, Carr’s focus appears to be on his family and faith, as he reiterated his life’s priorities during the sermon: “If it’s going to be faith, family, football, it’s going to be faith, family, football, no matter what the situation is.” Studies, such as those published in the Journal of Religion and Health (2018), support the idea that spirituality can play a significant role in coping with miscarriage, reducing emotional distress by up to 30%. For Carr, this faith offers a path forward as he navigates the loss of his unborn child and the uncertainty of his NFL career.

As the Saints prepare for the upcoming season, the spotlight on Derek Carr will only intensify. Will he return to the field as the starter, or will Shough’s arrival mark the end of the Carr era in New Orleans? More importantly, how will Carr and his family heal from this profound loss? For now, the quarterback’s plea for understanding resonates beyond the gridiron, reminding us all of the human struggles that often lie beneath the surface of public personas. The Carr family, supported by their faith and the prayers of many, will undoubtedly face these challenges with the same resilience they’ve shown throughout their journey together.