For nine seasons, Derek Carr was the starting quarterback for the Raiders franchise, leading the team in both Oakland and Las Vegas. A starter from Day 1 after being drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Carr re-wrote the Raiders record book in terms of statistics at the quarterback position, but the wins were few and far between.
During the 2019 offseason, the Raiders hired Mike Mayock to be their next general manager, pairing him with Jon Gruden. Gruden had returned the year before to lead the Raiders back to the kind of success they had in his first go-around with the team, and revamped the roster in a big way.
Trading away stars enabled Mayock to hold three first round picks in his first NFL Draft as GM, but that yielded only Josh Jacobs as an impact player. The plan was to build around Carr as quarterback, and the relationship between Gruden and Carr was a strong one, leading to good statistical season from No. 4.
However, Carr did not win much with Gruden at the helm, and since Gruden left, the team's former GM feels he has been on a downward spiral. Speaking on the 3-and-Out Podcast, Mayock had plenty to say about his former franchise QB, some bad, and some very revealing.
""I thought Jon did an unbelievable job with Derek Carr. Since Jon left, Derek has gone downhill.""Mike Mayock on Derek Carr
Raiders have to find their new franchise QB in a hurry
One could argue that while Carr put up solid numbers under Gruden, he really was not the same quarterback after breaking his leg during the 2016 NFL season. At that point, Carr was a budding superstar who had led the Raiders back to the top of the AFC, and many felt he was destined for stardom wearing the Silver and Black.
Carr returned as a solid NFL quarterback, but did not have the kind of success he had during his rise in 2016. He has since moved on to New Orleans, and nearly led them to the playoffs last season, but many feel he has hit his ceiling in terms of what he can be at the NFL level.
For the Raiders, they are still looking for their next franchise quarterback, as four men have started for the team since Carr was benched during the 2022 NFL season. With Gardner Minshew II arriving to battle with Aidan O'Connell for the starting job in 2024, and a possible draft pick being spent on the position, the Raiders are once again hitting the reset button at the position.
Hopefully, they can find their long-term solution sooner than later.