Derek Carr and Tyrann Mathieu retiring were two of the biggest surprises of the NFL offseason. As we approach Week 1, the former New Orleans Saints teammates are going to team up again. This time, they'll be working as analysts.
The former Saints teammates both retired this offseason have quickly landed into new gigs. Just like their retirements, this news caught many off guard. We won't have to take long to see how they fare on the other side of football either.
The NFL continues to find new platforms to air games, and the Week 1 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers will air exclusively on YouTube. Carr and Mathieu will be studio analysts along side Brandon Marshall. It's an AFC West link up for the league's matchup in Brazil.
Derek Carr has been preparing for this since retiring from the Saints
Carr started a YouTube channel after retiring with his brother David. While Derek's first true appearance was a car video, he quickly switched to an analytical role. David is already in media as a member of the NFL Network team.
Derek following in his brother's footsteps always seemed plausible. The steps he took after retirement only made it more likely. This game feels more like an audition for future opportunities to come than a one off.
There were questions if you'd see Carr return to the field next year. Never say never. Just look at Robert Gronkowski. It does seem like the former Saints quarterback is settling into his new lane.
Tyrann Mathieu taking a different post-retirement path than expected
Mathieu is a different story. Many began to write the story of Mathieu’s career once he hung up the cleats before he even retired. The expectation was Mathieu would join his alma mater, LSU, as a coach once his playing days were over.
Mathieu helped spearhead that conversation by mentioning his desire to return to LSU as a coach, though he did delete those tweets immediately. Mathieu retired late in the offseason, so the odds of him immediately joining LSU’s staff were slim.
While the move was unexpected, it wasn’t out of character. Mathieu has always provided good interviews and was a highly intelligent player. It remains to be seen how he performs, but his history suggests success. If we weren’t so dead set on his future coaching, this would have been seen as a natural progression for the safety.