The question is cj carr related to derek and david carr continues to attract attention because three quarterbacks with the same last name have made their mark at major levels of football. CJ Carr is now a prominent Notre Dame quarterback, while Derek Carr and David Carr are well-known NFL figures. Despite the shared surname and quarterback connection, they come from different family lines.
CJ Carr has built his own identity in college football, but his family background is already deeply connected to the sport. His football heritage leads to Michigan, where his grandfather and father both made their names.
CJ Carr’s Family Background
CJ Carr was born in Saline, Michigan, and grew up in a family with strong ties to the University of Michigan.
His grandfather is Lloyd Carr, the longtime Michigan head coach who led the Wolverines from 1995 through 2007. Lloyd Carr guided Michigan to a national championship in 1997 and five Big Ten championships during his coaching career.
CJ’s father, Jason Carr, also played football at Michigan. Jason was a quarterback for the Wolverines during the 1990s, giving CJ a direct connection to the program before he became a college player himself.
The family’s Michigan football history goes even deeper. CJ’s maternal grandfather is Tom Curtis, a former Michigan defensive back and College Football Hall of Fame member.
That background makes CJ Carr part of one of the more notable multigenerational football families connected to Michigan.
CJ Carr’s Path to Notre Dame
Although his family had a strong Michigan connection, CJ Carr chose a different route for his college career.
He attended Saline High School and became one of the more highly regarded quarterback prospects in the 2024 recruiting class. Notre Dame secured his commitment, giving the Fighting Irish a quarterback with significant expectations surrounding him.
Carr initially appeared sparingly before becoming Notre Dame’s starting quarterback.
By 2025, he had established himself as the team’s starter and produced a major statistical season. He completed 195 of 293 passes for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding three rushing touchdowns.
Those numbers helped put Carr on the national radar entering the 2026 season.
CJ Carr’s 2026 Season
Carr entered the 2026 campaign as one of the most closely watched quarterbacks in college football.
Through Notre Dame’s first four games, he had completed 67 of 95 passes for 963 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception. His completion rate during that stretch was 70.5 percent.
He opened the season against Wisconsin with 239 passing yards and two touchdown passes. The following week against Rice, Carr completed 16 of 20 attempts for 253 yards and four touchdowns.
Against Michigan State, he passed for 234 yards and added a rushing touchdown. Notre Dame then defeated Purdue 49-10, with Carr producing three touchdown passes and a rushing score.
His performances have also resulted in appearances on several major 2026 college football award watch lists.
So, Is CJ Carr Related to Derek Carr?
No. CJ Carr and Derek Carr are not known to be related.
The connection between them is their shared last name and their position as quarterbacks. Their documented family backgrounds are separate.
Derek Carr was born in California and grew up in a football family that included his older brother David Carr. Derek went on to play college football at Fresno State before becoming an NFL quarterback.
CJ Carr’s family, by contrast, is rooted in Michigan football through Lloyd Carr, Jason Carr and Tom Curtis.
There is no documented family link connecting CJ Carr to Derek Carr.
What About David Carr?
The answer is the same for David Carr.
CJ Carr is not known to be related to David Carr.
David Carr is Derek Carr’s older brother. He became the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft and was selected by the expansion Houston Texans. His NFL career included stops with several teams.
Because Derek and David are brothers, anyone who is not related to Derek is also outside that immediate Carr family line.
The resemblance between the names therefore comes down to the surname rather than a known family relationship.
Derek and David Carr’s Football Family
The Carr brothers have their own distinct football story.
David and Derek grew up in California and both played quarterback at Fresno State. David reached the NFL first, becoming the inaugural starting quarterback of the Houston Texans after being selected first overall.
Derek later followed him into professional football and became an NFL starter in his own right.
The brothers’ careers created one of the better-known quarterback families in recent NFL history. Their family also includes Darren Carr, who has been involved in football coaching.
That family history is separate from CJ Carr’s Michigan-centered football lineage.
Why the Carr Name Creates Confusion
Football has several famous families in which relatives share positions, schools or surnames. The Carr name can create a similar assumption even when there is no known connection.
CJ Carr’s emergence at Notre Dame has made the question more common because Derek and David Carr are already established names among football fans.
The situation is particularly interesting because CJ is also a quarterback and has a high-profile football family of his own.
His connection to Lloyd Carr is real and significant. His connection to Derek and David Carr is not.
A Different Kind of Carr Football Legacy
CJ Carr’s story is unusual because he entered college carrying a famous football surname without being part of the NFL Carr family that many fans recognize.
Instead, his legacy is tied to Michigan.
His grandfather Lloyd Carr won a national championship as Michigan’s head coach. His father Jason played quarterback for the Wolverines. His maternal grandfather Tom Curtis was an accomplished Michigan defender.
CJ then chose Notre Dame, creating an interesting chapter in a family history that had been strongly associated with Michigan.
His younger brother Tommy Carr has also continued the family’s football tradition, adding another quarterback to the next generation.
CJ Carr Is Building His Own Identity
The growing attention around CJ Carr is increasingly based on what he does on the field rather than simply who his relatives are.
At Notre Dame, he has developed into a productive starting quarterback and entered the 2026 season with significant national recognition.
His early 2026 production has strengthened his profile, while his previous season demonstrated that he could handle the demands of being Notre Dame’s starting quarterback.
That makes CJ Carr’s career worth following independently of the Carr family comparisons.
The Bottom Line
For anyone asking is cj carr related to derek and david carr, the answer is no based on publicly documented family information.
CJ Carr belongs to the Michigan football family associated with Lloyd Carr, Jason Carr and Tom Curtis. Derek and David Carr are brothers from a separate California football family.
The shared surname, quarterback position and prominence in college and professional football explain why the question comes up so often. But the family histories point to two distinct branches of football.
As CJ Carr continues his Notre Dame career, his accomplishments are increasingly giving the Carr name another identity in major college footballâone tied to South Bend and Michigan rather than the NFL careers of Derek and David Carr.