Don’t disregard what the Las Vegas Raiders have in Derek Carr
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have a strong quarterback of their own in Derek Carr, who could reach new heights under Josh McDaniels in 2022.
For the past eight seasons, the Raiders franchise has been led under center by Derek Carr. During that time, the Silver and Black have endured multiple roster rebuilds, numerous coaching staff changes, and even a change in the city they play in.
Through it all, Carr has been a constant for the Raiders, playing injured, trying to lead some very bad teams, and learning a new playbook nearly every season. However, there appeared to be some stability in the coaching staff when Jon Gruden arrived, as he inked a ten-year deal, but we all know how that story played out.
On Tuesday, the AFC West saw another elite quarterback enter the chat, as the Denver Broncos traded for Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning signal-caller, Russell Wilson. That meant the Raiders will face Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert twice a season for the foreseeable future, making the division one of the best in the game.
While Wilson is an outstanding quarterback, and Mahomes and Herbert are seen as the future at the position by many, do not discount what Carr means to this Raiders franchise. He is more than an above-average quarterback, and for those counting at home, he has led the team to back-to-back second-place finishes in the division.
That means he has led the Raiders to wins over both Mahomes and Herbert in the past, even eliminating the Chargers and Herbert from the playoffs in Week 18 of last season. He may not have the stature of the other three, but he is a quarterback who has the trust of this new coaching staff and the trust of his locker room.
Is Derek Carr the fourth-best in the AFC West?
Many feel that Carr is the fourth-best quarterback in the division, and based on the national perception of the other three guys, you could certainly make that argument. However, since the team moved to Las Vegas, Carr and the Raiders have a winning record, and just went to the playoffs, so there are plenty of other teams that would love his services.
In fact, his name has been rumored to nearly every quarterback-needy team this offseason and has been across the last few offseason. Looking at his statistics, he has thrown for 4,000 yards in each of the last four seasons, has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, and has been more than durable, not missing a single game.
Many teams would love to have no. 4 leading their team, so why is Raider Nation so uneven about having him as their quarterback? Looking around the NFL, there are so many teams who are downright putrid at quarterback, and despite all the changes every year, Carr continues to show up and bleed Silver and Black.
So while Wilson, Herbert, and Mahomes are likely to grab all the offseason hype, and probably make the Raiders the favorite to land in the cellar of the AFC West next season, do not disregard what the team has at quarterback. The Raiders went through hell last season on and off the field, but in the end, won ten games, and No. 4 is a big reason why.
Yes, Wilson is an upgrade for Denver, and yet, the AFC West is loaded at quarterback, but Carr is someone the Raiders should feel lucky to have under center.