The Las Vegas Raiders went into the NFL offseason one again with plenty of speculation regarding their situation under center.
Despite a disappointing finish to the 2020 campaign, quarterback Derek Carr enjoyed a career year, leading the offense to 10th in scoring. Regardless, rumors of star quarterbacks around the league looking for a move once again put him in the hot seat.
All the talk of the Raiders making a switch certainly has not gone unnoticed by Carr. However, he remains adamant about sticking with this team through thick and thin.
Carr even suggested that the prospect of not wearing the Silver and Black would have been enough cause for him to hang up his cleats.
“Yeah, that’s a great question, honestly,” Carr said. “I can’t speak on their situations. I don’t know. None of us will really know what happens in conversations behind closed doors and all that, so I can’t. But I can speak for myself and I’m of the mindset, I’m that old school mentality. I’m playing for one team and that’s it. Whether we’ve won enough or not, I literally give every bit of energy and effort that I can to this organization. And when I sign a contract, in my mind I have to fulfill that. I committed to that. I put my name on paper. I committed to that. That’s just how I was raised. So again, I’m from Fresno, California. Born in Fresno. My dad worked in the car business. My mom helped with substitute teaching and all different kinds of stuff at the church and all that kind of stuff. We didn’t have a whole bunch of stuff growing up, so I don’t need much.
“For me, it’s more about loyalty. It’s more about being the same guy every single day. My goal when I got here was to give everything I have to this organization, let our fans know that I’m giving it all that I have and I will always continue to do that on-season, off-season and whether the situation is great or not, that’s okay. People can say whatever they want. I know what I’ve put on film. I know the things I’ve been able to accomplish and I still want more. There’s still more and I want to do it here. I don’t want to do it anywhere else. I’ve said it over and over again. I’d probably quit football if I had to play for somebody else. I’m a Raider for my entire life. And I’m going to root for one team for the rest of my life and it’s the Raiders. I just feel that so strong in my heart. I don’t need a perfect situation, I believe that. I don’t need a perfect situation to make things right. I think we can all agree if we were able to pull it off and win a championship here, that would feel much better than just piling a whole bunch of great players together and joining up and doing it that way. I think it would be much more special and it would probably feel a little bit better. From what we’ve been through to where I think we’re going, I just think personally, that would be a cooler story for my life. And for other people, if they want to do other things, that’s great. That’s up to them, but for me I’d rather go down with ship if I have to. That’s just my personality.”
Carr’s comments are indicative of his love for the Raiders and how much playing for this team has meant to him throughout his career. While it may seem far-fetched to some, it just goes to show he is committed to proving he is the right man for the job.
Carr has done what he can to prove as much, both on and off the field. Not only did he perform well as the centerpiece of the offense, but he also continues to roll with the punches from fans that blame him for the team’s shortcomings.
Fortunately, Carr’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by head coach Jon Gruden and several of his teammates that have come to bat for him in recent years. The confidence from the locker room should help pay some major dividends for a potential resurgence in the 2021 NFL season.
