Las Vegas Raiders: Derek Carr shown love up and down the organization
By Brad Weiss
As is the case every offseason since Jon Gruden arrived back with the Silver and Black, quarterback Derek Carr is in the crosshairs of the fan base. Every offseason, the Raiders are linked to every quarterback available, whether free agents or draft prospects, so this is really nothing new when it comes to Carr.
On Wednesday, it seemed like the organization came out in full support of their signal-caller, something that we do not necessarily see all the time. Between Darren Waller, Alec Ingold, and general manager Mike Mayock, the consensus was not only is Carr the franchise in Las Vegas, but he has what it takes to get this team to a Super Bowl.
With only one winning season on his resume, Carr will have to prove he can win consistently, and entering Year 8 as the starter, the time is running thin.
Raiders seem all-in on their franchise quarterback
When it comes to this franchise, it is Gruden as well as Mayock who make the decisions in terms of the roster, and Mayock was bullish on Carr during his press conference on Wednesday. Not only did he call him one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, but said that he and Gruden would “stand shoulder to shoulder and pound the table for Derek Carr.”
That is not skirting the question at all, and while he did say they look at every position every offseason, it is clear Carr is their guy for 2021, and likely beyond if he continues to put up the statistics he has in his three years under Gruden. Of course, another year outside of the playoffs could change that narrative completely.
Last offseason, we did not see many players come to Carr’s defense, especially when it was rumored that Tom Brady could land in Las Vegas. This offseason, completely different story, as both Ingold and Waller stood behind their quarterback on Wednesday. In reality, neither is going to say the team needs to make a change, but they did not only say they were happy with Carr but that he can take them wherever they want to go.
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Carr sticking around for Year 8 is not music to the ears for many Raiders fans, most of who feel he is not a winner, despite his statistics showing he can succeed at the NFL level. Some are just tired of losing period, as the team has been to the playoffs once since the 2016 season, and if they are going to get back there in 2021, it is clear Carr will have to be the guy to get them there.