"He maybe misses not keep going": Denny Hamlin speculates on Carl Edwards' NASCAR retirement regrets

Denny Hamlin spent a few hours with Carl Edwards at Pocono last weekend, and the No. 11 driver didn't shy away from an honest reflection that followed. In a revealing pre-race interview with Amazon Prime, Hamlin admitted he believes his former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate might be questioning whether he walked away from NASCAR too early.

Edwards spent most of his 13-year Cup career with Roush Fenway Racing before joining JGR in 2015. There, he became Hamlin's teammate for two seasons and nearly delivered a title in his final year. In the candid conversation ahead of the race at Pocono Raceway, Hamlin said (via Prime Video):

"In my opinion, it was not said in the interview, but like I think Carl maybe misses not, you know, keep going. I think he's having second thoughts of seeing the success that we've had over the long sustained period of time, not being able to keep that thing going." (0:50 onwards)

Hamlin's comments cast new light on Carl Edwards' sudden departure in 2017. At 37, he was still in the prime of his career and fresh off a near-championship run in 2016. Though his decision was framed as a personal one, it left many in the NASCAR garage stunned.

Edwards' career statistics back up Hamlin's point. The 2025 NASCAR Hall of Famer inductee has 28 wins in 445 Cup Series races and a total of 72 combined victories across NASCAR's national series. He also won the 2007 Xfinity Series and finished runner-up in the Cup twice, losing by a tiebreaker in 2011 and bowing out in 2016.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Carl Edwards (19) and Denny Hamlin (11) during the Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway. Source: Imagn

Hamlin (57), now nearing 60 Cup wins, is the winningest driver in JGR history. But still, he considers Edwards a more gifted racer, as he added:

"I have no doubts he would have been as successful. If not way more successful than I was. I believe he was way more talented naturally behind the wheel than I was. I know that because I got to be teammates with him. I got to see his talent in the same race car that I had."

While Hamlin and Edwards weren't particularly close during their racing days, the post-retirement years seem to have built a quiet bond between them. Earlier this year at Darlington, Hamlin gave a tribute to Carl Edwards, donning a paint scheme No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion from the mid-2000s.

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Carl Edwards closes Amazon chapter with gratitude after five-race return

NASCAR analyst Carl Edwards (L) and Corey LaJoie on the NASCAR on Amazon Prime Video set at Charlotte. Source: Getty

When Carl Edwards stepped away in 2017, he cited a desire to focus on family life. The reason was echoed this past weekend by Denny Hamlin, who recently missed the Mexico City race to be with his newborn son. Edwards has largely stayed away from racing circles until this year, when Amazon Prime recruited him to help anchor their new NASCAR broadcast venture.

Edwards joined the Prime broadcast team for a five-race stint, working alongside Corey LaJoie and a crew that brought innovation to the streaming booth. As his temporary return ended at Pocono, Carl Edwards shared a parting message on a Sports on Prime video:

"Thanks for coming along on this ride with us. This has been a real fun five weeks. Getting to know Corey, the Amazon Prime crew. This has been really cool... This has been an adventure for me to come back to the sport to be with all of you, the fans, everyone at Prime... We've got a wonderful sport and it's neat to be able to be a part of something like this."

While Edwards' on-air presence drew praise from fans and even Richard Petty, who called it the 'best coverage' he's seen, Amazon's numbers tell a mixed story. The first five races under the Prime Video banner included (as per Blackbook Motorsports):

• Coca-Cola 600: 2.72M viewers (down from 3.2M in 2024 on Fox)
• Nashville: 2.06M (lowest for the event since 2021)
• Michigan: 1.77M (16% drop vs. USA Network in 2024)
• Mexico City: 2.1M (streaming-era record)
• Pocono: 1.869M (vs. 2.391M on the USA Network last year)

However, Prime brought in a younger audience, averaging 55.8 years in age compared to traditional TV, suggesting potential for long-term growth despite the short-term ratings slide.

With Carl Edwards now signing off and TNT taking over the summer broadcast slot, his presence may once again recede from NASCAR's weekly rhythm. But if Hamlin's hunch is correct, that brief return may have reignited something in the former star.

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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar