Dallas Cowboys Brandon Carr contemplating retirement
After spending the last five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, veteran cornerback Brandon Carr is now contemplating retirement following the team’s devastating playoff loss.
In early 2012, the Dallas Cowboys believed they had secured the future of their defensive secondary for years. That offseason, the Cowboys signed former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Carr to a massive five-year, $50.1 million deal in free agency. Dallas also traded up in the first round of the NFL Draft to select LSU corner Morris Claiborne.
Six years later, both Carr and Claiborne are now free agents. And their time in Dallas has been fraught with inconsistent play. For Claiborne, injuries have played a large part in derailing the 26-year old’s career. But the same can not be said for Carr, who wasn’t missed a single game in his entire nine-year pro career.
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No, the biggest issue Carr has had in Dallas is playing up to his lofty contract. Although the veteran was being paid like a top-five player at his position, his play on the field was often that of a much lower-tiered corner. And the fact Carr has recorded just one single interception in the past three seasons has only fueled that negative narrative.
Because of his overall mediocre play, the Cowboys slashed Carr’s salary in half last offseason. Despite his reduced $5.5 million paycheck last year, some may argue he was still too expensive. Pro Football Focus ranked Carr as the fourth best overall cornerback on the Cowboys roster last season, behind Claiborne, Orlando Scandrick and sixth round rookie Anthony Brown.
Now, the 30-year old starting corner is once again set to hit the open market. But after the Cowboys devastating loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs, Carr says he’s contemplating an early retirement.
“I’ve been thinking about it sometime,” Carr told The Dallas Morning News earlier this month. “Then I think about what am I going to do. Don’t make too much of it. I’m probably just hungry right now, get some food in me, might feel better, get some of Jerry’s macaroni and cheese or something.”
It certainly appears that the Dallas Cowboys unexpected ousting from the postseason was still fresh on the veteran’s mind when he made the statement about hanging up his cleats. Obviously, where Carr plays next season and his next contract will likely sway that decision. In the meantime, the Cowboys have some big decisions to make regarding their defensive secondary in 2017 as three of their starters from last year will be free agents this offseason.
