Las Vegas Raiders appear committed to Derek Carr in 2021 and beyond
By Brad Weiss
Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders got great play out of quarterback Derek Carr, as he once again put up some of the best numbers of his career. Carr threw for 4,000 yards for the third straight season under Jon Gruden and led his team to eight wins, the second-most of any team he has quarterbacked in his NFL career.
Despite him playing well, the fan base is not completely sold on No. 4, especially a percentage of people who seem to always be looking to kick him to the curb. The fact is, Carr, is rated by many as an above-average quarterback, and someone who can not only win games but be the final piece of the puzzle for some franchises.
A case in point is the Indianapolis Colts, who have the talent to make a run in the AFC if they can get the right guy under center. In prepping to make a move for a quarterback, this after Philip Rivers retired, the Colts checked in on the Raiders, and according to one source, Jim Ayello of IndyStar were told pretty bluntly that he was not available.
League source says Colts were among the teams that checked in on Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr. Received a pretty firm "not available."
— Jim Ayello (@jimayello) February 18, 2021
Raiders sticking with Derek Carr
Since taking over as head coach, Jon Gruden has had to continuously answer questions about whether or not Derek Carr is ‘his’ quarterback. Between Gruden and Mike Mayock, the narrative has always been that Carr is their guy, and they have never given any indication that they are moving on from him.
In fact, they have built around the veteran signal-caller, using high draft capital on other position groups, despite the fact they were rumored to be in the market for a quarterback. Also, whenever a quarterback is made available in free agency, or a trade, the Raiders seem to be the No. 1 landing spot for them, with the Silver and Black moving on from Carr.
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As we sit here in the middle of February, and Carr about to enter his eighth year as the starter for the franchise, it may be time to realize that he is not going anywhere, any time soon. He will be the quarterback in 2021, and possibly signed to an extension, and whether that is exciting for you as a fan, or makes you sick, it seems this franchise is going to roll with Carr for the foreseeable future.