For the Las Vegas Raiders, the 2020 season looks to be filled with high hopes as the team is set to move into it’s new Sin City Stadium. However, will Derek Carr be moving with them? This appears to be the biggest question on the media’s mind. Current betting odds suggest that Carr will not in a Raider uniform much longer, and with different betting options to be found online, many are placing bets against his return.
Carr has played the last two seasons under head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden has said on numerous occasions that he wants more from that position. However, messages have been mixed from the coach. Last month while speaking to a group of Raiders beat reporters at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, Gruden said, “I’m not going to answer every media rumor out there. I just can’t do it. I’m just going to listen to my Sirius Rock n’ Roll classic vinyl [station] and keep working. But I love what Derek Carr did, love what he brings to our team and anxious to continue to build around him.”
Gruden may love Carr but simply hasn’t performed since signing a five-year $125-million contract extension in 2016. Over the last three seasons, Carr has averaged just 3,866 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions per season. Moreover, the Raiders haven’t won more than seven games in any of those seasons while going 17-31 after finishing with a 12-4 record in 2016.
What makes Carr’s position more perilous is that though he’s signed through 2022, if Raiders choose to release or trade him after June 1st, the team would only incur a dead-cap penalty of $2.5 million. At the same time, the team would save $19 million in cap space which could be used to sign Philip Rivers or Tom Brady. Two marquee quarterbacks who are both free agents and who would add veteran leadership to what’s essentially a young Raiders team.
Other members of the Raiders have also had their say on the matter and the uncertainty of Carr’s future. Running back Josh Jacobs recently praised Carr saying that “I think that Derek is an amazing quarterback, I think that he’s actually one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met”
Derek’s brother, David Carr, who is a former Houston Texans quarterback and now Network analyst for the NFL, has said that he felt the whole offseason was frustrating for the player, judging by what he knows he is capable of. He also said that he thinks the relationship between coach and player is actually “really good”.
The 2019 season for them ended horribly, where they lost 5 out of 6 games and it was clear that fans were frustrated. People surrounding the club have been looking to point fingers and unfortunately, many of those fingers are pointed at Carr. With the team turning over a new leaf in Las Vegas, don’t be surprised if it’s with a new quarterback behind center.
