The Las Vegas Raiders parted ways with quarterback Derek Carr this offseason. While some questioned whether he was the right player to lead the team to the next level, there is no doubt that he was a leader for the Raiders and had established extremely close relationships with his teammates and throughout the community.
Carr has moved on to the New Orleans Saints where he is hoping to lead them back to playoff success, but he still has love for the Raiders and his former teammates. And his family, particularly his children, do as well.
Carr recently spoke on this, saying that his kids still watch and root for the Raiders with his young daughter still not recognizing that her dad plays for a new team now, via Hunter Haas of Raider Ramble:
“When we played the Chiefs this past Sunday I got home and my kids had the Raiders game on. I’m watching my guys and they’re like, cheering for Daniel [Carlson] when he’s going up to kick. My daughter the other day was running on the Saints field, and she said ‘Touchdown Raiders!’ I was like wait, wait, wait not anymore.”
In fairness, Carr’s daughter is the youngest of his four children so her not quite understanding how the business of the NFL works is understandable. When it comes down to it, Carr spent nine seasons with the Raiders and the bonds and relationships stretch beyond himself, trickling down to his family as well.
Carr’s children have met so many of his teammates and have their own relationships too so it makes sense that they would continue rooting for those players as well. And Carr insists he wants nothing but success for his former Raiders teammates:
“Those are my friends you know, I have no hard feelings. Like I said I got no hard feelings toward any of my guys. I want those guys to succeed because I know when you don’t succeed it’s tough and it’s hard. It’s hard on your family. It’s hard on everybody and I don’t want that for my friends.”
Carr’s focus is strictly on the Saints and performing at a high level in New Orleans, but when you spend so much time with one team, as Carr did with the Raiders, it’s basically impossible not to still root for those teammates you’re closest with. And it makes it even more difficult with your kids reminding you as well.
