You know how this ends Derek Carr And this testers.
When the quarterback was cheered by the home fans in the Raiders’ last game in Oakland in 2019…
The Raiders gave him a “long-term” extension in April that included a small signing bonus and a A different deviation rule …
And again in November, when the car broken In the post-game news conference, how this season went and deal with the frustrations of his nine years here…
On Wednesday, the 6-9 team had little chance of making the playoffs, but the Raiders benched Carr for the final two games of the season, against Sunday. 49ers. If Carr is injured in the next two weeks, they won’t want to guarantee $32.9 million next season (another $7.5 million in 2024).
That tells you all you need to know about the team’s feelings about the car. Coach Josh McDaniels said he would like the opportunity to evaluate the backup Jared Stidham (He was with Patriots) is plausible, as some national reports say the Raiders have not made a decision about Carr next season and want to preserve his health for a possible trade.
Indeed, Carr has been an objective man for quite some time — and whenever a new rumor surfaced he would joke that he should have been traded years ago.
Go deeper
Reid: Derek Carr is facing a slump, but the pressure is now on the riders’ brass
Owner Mark Davis was actually lukewarm on Carr for a while, apparently thinking the quarterback should have won over all the disastrous draft picks and free-agent signings and all the coaches Davis has hired and fired since 2014. Ziegler and McDaniels made the call to continue with Carr in January when Davis hired Dave as general manager.
During that interview process, Ziegler and McDaniels had to be a bit shocked to hear about the car. Davis turned the reins of the two-week search over to former vice president of player personnel Ken Herock, now 81, and Herock isn’t one to mince words. Other GM and coaching candidates were shocked by how pessimistic Raiders officials in the interview room spoke about the car, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Carr, after all, had been the face of the organization for nine years — never saying a bad word despite all of the franchise’s embarrassing moments — and was great in the community and very good on the field. He is the Raiders’ all-time leader in touchdown passes (with 217) and became the first QB and fifth player in Raiders history to pass 30,000 career yards. NFL History with at least 30,000 yards in his first eight seasons.
But he was not successful. The Raiders had two winning seasons and two playoff appearances in Carr’s nine years, and he missed one playoff game (in 2016) with a broken leg. Last year, Carr’s leadership was a big reason the Raiders overcame some horrific off-field incidents and coach Jon Gruden resigned over racist, homophobic and misogynistic emails, but Davis stuck around in the playoff loss. Bengal (And some car results in the last drive).
Derek Carr’s only playoff appearance as a Raider was last year’s wild card loss to the Bengals. (Karim Elkazar/USA Today)
There have always been questions about Carr’s toughness in the pocket — ironically he was one of the most durable quarterbacks in the league, missing just three games in nine seasons — and Gruden warmed to him in his 3 1/2 years here. Ultimately a big supporter, Davis never really was.
The riders were having fun Tom Brady For the 2020 season, Gruden decided Brady was too old. Signing Marcus Mariota Push the car, and the car buries him. The race was over before it even started due to the car’s handling.
Carr got better and better under Gruden — more aggressive scrambling and extending plays in the pocket — and the Raiders are off to a 3-0 start in 2021. But Gruden didn’t until two weeks later, when the emails were leaked. 1 receiver Henry Ruggs III was acquitted after his car crash that left a woman and her dog dead and led to multiple felony charges for DUI and reckless driving.
The Raiders still made the playoffs, but Davis decided not to retain interim coach Rich Pisaccia despite his success and the popularity of the players. He went with the Patriots’ model and hired Bill Belichick protégés Ziegler and McDaniels. Davis let them call Carr, and they not only decided to extend his contract, but also traded for a receiver. Davante AdamsA perennial All-Pro, one of Carr’s best friends and former teammate at Fresno State.
But the Raiders underachieved, becoming the first team in NFL history to blow four double-digit halftime leads. It was clear that McDaniels and Carr were never in sync. Carr would say at the start of the season that he was just trying to do what McDaniels wanted, and the more times he said that, the more the crowd went upstairs. Carr’s completion percentage of 60.8 and passer rating of 86.3 are his lowest since his rookie season and 7.0 yards per attempt and 235 yards per game are his lowest since 2017, and while McDaniels has some of that, he’s going nowhere.
My reading is that Ziegler and McDaniels met for two nights to discuss Carr’s position, and on Tuesday night, they were leaning toward keeping Carr as the starter. After all, they’ve been preaching the importance of winning and are technically still alive for the playoffs (though it’s possible they’ll be eliminated before they even take the field on Sunday). Carr is a team leader and highly respected by the teammates in the locker room, and the teammates don’t think it’s fair or honorable to make him a scapegoat. Davis stepped in and said, “I think it’s time for a change.”
What is happening now?
Carr missed his fourth and fifth games in nine years, not the first due to injury. He will not practice with the team and will not participate in either of their final two games to avoid distraction.
The Raiders will be able to cut the car after the season, as $40.4 million in additions for 2023 and ’24 will be fully guaranteed on Feb. 15, three days after the Super Bowl. But the most likely scenario is that both sides agree to a trade to another team. Carr was given a no-trade clause when agreeing to a contract with a one-year exit plan and must approve any trade targets.
“We’ll see how it goes. I’m not going to sit here and predict the future,” McDaniels said Wednesday of Carr’s future. “There’s a lot to sort out once the season is over.”
Carr once said he’d retire before playing for another team, and while he certainly could — he’s the rare NFL player who has mapped out his future as a pastor, a family man and a golfer — I didn’t. I think that’s what happens. He is very competitive and would love to prove the Raiders wrong.
His friend Adams came to Riders to play with Carr and be close to his family. He left Bakers Because Aaron Rodgers’ status was up in the air, and now here he is after Wednesday’s practice, staring at the car’s empty locker.
“Frankly, I don’t think anyone here was excited about it,” Adams told reporters. “He’s one of my good friends and the reason I came here in the first place. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here right now.
“I think everyone knows how I feel about him and there’s a process to how it goes. I’m not going to sit here and take it. I’m supporting my boy and we’ve got to finish this season as well as we can.
(Top photo: Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)
