What does Derek Carr bring to UCLA football? Coach Bob Chesney explains

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IRVINE, CA — As Nico Iamaleava and the rest of the UCLA quarterbacks went through drills on Tuesday, Aug. 11, it was hard to miss a former Pro Bowl quarterback among the group: Derek Carr.

The former Raider and Saint was with the Bruins at the Great Park facility for the first time since he was officially hired as a special advisor for coach Bob Chesney. It's the first coaching role for Carr since he announced his retirement from the NFL in May 2025, and it came to fruition thanks to an old college connection.

When Carr was at Fresno State, Darrick Yray was an offensive assistant and assistant director of football for the Bulldogs. Now, Yray is the UCLA football general manager, and them staying in touch over the years led to Carr reaching out to Chesney during spring practice.

"He has a place in Newport Beach, right down the road," Chesney told reporters. "(He said) 'I'm going to be around a lot, and I'd love to be able to help out.' I think when Derek Carr asks to help out, the answer is yes."

UCLA said in announcing Carr that his official role is to help with "game-planning strategy while also working with UCLA's quarterbacks." He mostly observed practice during the media viewing period on Tuesday, while speaking with some staff and signal-callers during it.

Chesney elaborated Carr won't be a permanent fixture at UCLA practices, noting he has to juggle time with his family and young children, with his proximity to UCLA making it easier for him to attend. However, Carr will be on the sidelines at games and has access to film. Chesney cited Carr's experience during his prolific career at Fresno State and 11 seasons in the NFL as to why it's so valuable to have him on the staff.

"It's this ability to communicate with the quarterback in real time," he said. "The pressure that you feel back there as a quarterback, I think it's pretty awesome to hear a different guy's perspective that's done it a very long time at the highest level. As he speaks, we certainly listen into what he says he sees, or what he thinks the quarterback sees.

"We're going to go through the playbook and talk about where we want his eyes, where we want his feet, everything we want to do within the scheme. But then there's this little piece of a guy that says, 'I know what exactly what this feels like at this moment,' and that's invaluable."

Carr joins UCLA a few months after rumors circulated he was mulling a return to football. He said on his "Home Grown" podcast in February he would do it, but his health and an interested team's Super Bowl contention are deciding factors. He added he "had to say no a couple of times so far" to prospective teams.

The new UCLA staff member is still under contract with the Saints for one more season after signing his four-year, $150 million contract with New Orleans in 2023.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What does Derek Carr bring to UCLA football? Coach Bob Chesney explains

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