The Raiders drafted quarterback Derek Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and he’s been Las Vegas’ signal-caller ever since, breaking franchise records along the way.
But as fans and followers of the Raiders know, Carr’s tenure hasn’t been as smooth as those facts would indicate.
Due to several regime changes and the Raiders’ subpar win-loss record with Carr at the helm, rumors of a quarterback change for Las Vegas have persisted throughout Carr’s tenure. That was definitely the case during the last Raiders regime led by ex-coach Jon Gruden, especially with Gruden’s reputation as a QB guru, and one that likes mobile quarterbacks at that.
Carr says those days are over, however. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that new coach Josh McDaniels called the Raiders’ top players after taking over in Las Vegas, and the first person he called was Carr. Carr told Breer that the phone call “showed me who they are” and signaled that swirling rumors about his job security are a thing of the past.
“They told me that they were committed to me. And the cool thing, too, is, in public, they’ve been committed to me. Usually when you get a new coach, GM, they kind of slow-play it like, Oh, we’ll see …
“I’ve been through that. My future is always up in the air, it seems like. But these guys just made it clear, No, we believe in you, and you’re our guy, and we believe we can win with you. And we’re going to prove that to you, too. We’re gonna sign you to an extension.”
Carr’s use of the term “slow-play” is perfect. During the last couple of years with Gruden and ex-general manager Mike Mayock, the Raiders praised Carr’s QB play but also raved about his increasingly team-friendly contract, seemingly never seriously considering an extension of any kind for Carr.
McDaniels and new GM Dave Ziegler inked Carr soon after that initial phone call, even with Carr still signed through this season, the last year on his previous mega-deal.
Carr’s new contract could be considered team-friendly as well, as guaranteed money in the deal rises dramatically if the Raiders decide to keep Carr after this season, which in all likelihood, they will. Unless McDaniels and Ziegler choose to move on for a variety of reasons.
That’s clearly not on Carr’s mind though, and that’s thanks to the new regime’s communication with their QB. In the end, if Carr plays well, as Carr has every reason to believe he will, especially with the addition of wide receiver Davante Adams, he’ll be well compensated via his current contract.
Also if Carr plays well, the Raiders will likely be in the thick of what figures to be a hard-fought battle for the AFC West crown. And winning is probably the only way to completely quiet rumors of Carr’s departure from Las Vegas.
Everyone on the offense has to do their job for Las Vegas to seriously contend, but the Raiders are set at QB. No more “slow-play” tactics to speak of, at least from Carr’s perspective.
Carr was confident enough to sign a somewhat team-friendly deal (which includes a Carr-friendly no-trade clause), and that’s thanks to the new regime. Now, the entire franchise has to put it all together on the field and prove all their moves in the offseason were the correct ones.