The Oakland Raiders and quarterback Derek Carr have been involved in contract extension negotiations all throughout this offseason, as he is set to hit free agency next offseason.
Carr has said that he has no plans to test the free agent market, but if an agreement is not reached by Training Camp that he would put the negotiations on hold so it does not become a distraction during the season.
It appears that may not need to happen, as the Raiders and Carr are currently close to agreeing on an extension, via Adam Schefter of ESPN:
Raiders and Derek Carr are close to finalizing a deal expected to pay their quarterback about $25 million per year, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 21, 2017
The $25 million per season would be the richest annual contract in NFL history, passing Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s deal that pays him $24.6 million per season.
According to Schefter, the deal could be completed by the end of this week:
Derek Carr and Raiders still are finalizing language, but the record deal could be announced as early as the end of this week, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 21, 2017
Carr was a second round draft pick of the Raiders in 2014 out of Fresno State. He has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the last two seasons, and in 2016 he developed into an MVP candidate leading the Raiders to a 12-4 record and their first playoff appearance in over a decade.
He is also the Raiders vocal leader on and off the field and the face of the franchise, so in the eyes of Raiders ownership $25 million per season could be worth everything that Carr brings to the table.
