Derek Carr isn't done with football, he's just done getting paid for it. UCLA announced Monday it hired the former NFL quarterback as a special advisor to head coach Bob Chesney, and Adam Schefter had the news first.
Carr will help Chesney and the offensive staff with game-planning while also working directly with UCLA's quarterback room, according to Schefter. It's a volunteer role — Carr isn't drawing a paycheck for this, he's just showing up to help. That's a notable gesture from a guy who spent 11 years starting in the NFL and made 4 Pro Bowls with the Raiders before finishing his career with the Saints.
Carr announced his retirement back in May 2025, and this is his first real step into coaching. Per ESPN, he told UCLA the chance to help Chesney, the staff and the quarterbacks was one that "really excited" him. Chesney, for his part, called Carr's experience, leadership and football knowledge "an incredible resource" for the program.
There's also a personal thread here — Carr overlapped at Fresno State with UCLA general manager Darrick Yray, so this isn't some cold hire off the street. It's a program leaning on an existing relationship to bring in a name that instantly raises the profile of the QB room.
The timing lines up well for UCLA. Chesney is walking into his first season in Westwood off a 21-6 run at James Madison that included a Sun Belt title and a College Football Playoff appearance, and he's got Tennessee transfer Nico Iamaleava penciled in as QB1 after Iamaleava threw for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. Handing a rookie head coach and a first-year starter access to a four-time Pro Bowler's brain, for free, is about as low-risk a move as college football offers.