DALLAS — Derek Carr said the criticism of Dallas Cowboys rookie safety Caleb Downs taking practice reps against wide receivers needs to end.
The former NFL quarterback made the comments on Home Grown with David & Derek Carr, the podcast he co-hosts with his brother, David Carr. The clip posted to the show’s YouTube channel Monday afternoon.
The elite safeties Carr was around in the NFL, Charles Woodson and Reggie Nelson, took practice reps on the outside so that covering a tight end came easier.
“So I saw this clip of him trying to guard one of their receivers on a stop,” Carr said. “Whenever I’ve been around, let me say this, really elite top tier defensive backs, safeties in particular is what I’m talking about. Charles Woodson. Reggie Nelson is another one.”
Carr and Woodson were Oakland teammates in 2014 and 2015. Nelson signed with the Raiders in April 2016 and played there through the 2018 season.
Two 2026 fifth-round picks went to the Miami Dolphins in April for the No. 11 pick, one spot up from where Dallas had been sitting. The Cowboys took Downs there and gave him No. 13. Since camp opened in Oxnard, Calif., Christian Parker has used him at safety and in the slot. Much of the slot work has come against CeeDee Lamb.
Downs intercepted Dak Prescott during red-zone work at The Star on Aug. 25 for his first interception of training camp.
Ohio State used Downs mostly at nickel and at safety, with some snaps as an extra linebacker.
“You want to know why he’s doing it?” Carr explained. “Because he’s trying to just get better. He understands he’s going to be on a tight end. He understands he’s going to be on a slot receiver with help on the inside. He understands.”
“And so everyone’s like, what are they doing with him out here?” Carr continued. “Just stop. There’s a lot of football talk that happens that really just needs to end. And people say it with conviction. It doesn’t mean that you’re right.”
Derek Carr’s Playing Career And UCLA Role
Carr retired in May 2025 after 11 seasons. He threw for 41,245 yards with 257 touchdowns and 112 interceptions in 169 games for the Oakland Raiders, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the New Orleans Saints, and he was selected to four Pro Bowls. UCLA hired him Aug. 10 as a special advisor to head coach Bob Chesney, a role that has him working with the Bruins quarterbacks and helping the offensive staff with game planning.
David Carr was the first overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft and threw for 14,452 yards over 11 seasons. The brothers started the podcast after Derek Carr retired.
Caleb Downs’ Camp And Preseason Work
The Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott Trophy both went to Downs in 2025. He was a unanimous All-American in each of his two seasons at Ohio State. Downs finished college with 257 tackles and 16 tackles for loss in 44 games at Alabama and Ohio State. He had six interceptions.
His rookie contract runs four years and is worth $28.95 million, all of it guaranteed. The signing bonus is $17.5 million. Dallas holds a fifth-year option.
His only preseason work came on Seattle’s opening drive of the preseason opener, a 17-7 Dallas win over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Aug. 15. He did not record a statistic and did not play in the 34-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Dallas allowed 511 points last season, 30.1 per game, the most in the NFL. The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 and second in the NFC East. Dallas ran a 4-3 under Matt Eberflus in 2025. Parker has the defense in a 3-4 this season. Five of the Cowboys’ seven draft picks went to defense.
Dallas has 12 days until the opener at the New York Giants on Sept. 13. Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
