The Oakland Raiders have officially locked up their franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. They originally struck gold when they selected him with the No. 36 overall pick at the 2014 NFL Draft.
Carr’s lucrative five-year, $125 million deal will make him the highest-paid player in league history — for the time being. However, according to Conor Orr of NFL, Carr expressed the importance of structuring his contract so it allows the team to retain their other star players:
“We figured out a way to do it so that we have the opportunity to sign the other guys that I think are important to this organization,” Carr said. “That was really important to me. Not to just take every single dime that we could. I hope that that’s known. Obviously, the position that I play, it has to be around a certain number. It just is what it is. At the same time, I told (my agent), if we can structure it in a way to help the Raiders get the other guys, give them an opportunity to come in, that that would be really important to me too.”
Carr has been the focal point in this team’s turnaround from irrelevance to a legitimate contender. Not to mention he is well-renowned for his humility and modest demeanor and this is just another example of that. It is an attitude that will also pay huge dividends for the Raiders in the long run.
Khalil Mack is entering the final year of his rookie deal and will likely opt for a bigger contract in 2018. As arguably the best edge rusher in the game, a contract similar to Von Miller’s six-year, $114.5 million deal could be in the works.
