I don’t know if you heard about this, but Derek Carr is no longer the quarterback of the Raiders. He held the position for nine years, despite just two winning records and zero playoff wins in that time.
None of that could possibly fall on him, though. It was always everyone else who was the problem. The front office, the coaches, and the players around him were always the problem.
How do we know this? Well, just ask his brother, who has held a position as an analyst for NFL Network for seven of Derek’s nine seasons in the league.
Last week David told viewers to tune into NFL Network Monday to hear him ‘get a few things off his chest’ about how faultless his brother was in the Raiders difficulties over his career with the Raiders and how the Raiders simply didn’t appreciate him despite his steadfast loyalty to them.
I’ll let David tell it…
“Derek Carr has said for a long time ‘I’m only going to play for the Raiders.’ It’s the Raiders or no one else. Such loyalty. So, he was fully invested,” David said of Derek. “Six head coaches, Khalil Mack gets traded, Amari Cooper’s shipped off, Jon Gruden gets fired midseason, he’s going through all this turmoil, right? He never called out a coach, never called out the organization, never called out the top brass in the organization, never said anything.”
Ok, I gotta stop right here. Because someone needs to pushback on this as his colleagues never would.
1. So, wait…poor quarterback play had nothing to do with the coaching turnover? None whatsoever? Ok. 2. True, Jon Gruden used making Derek Carr the highest paid player in NFL history as their excuse for trading Mack rather than paying him. 3. Amari Cooper had instant success with the Cowboys. Again, nothing to do with a change in quarterbacks? None at all? Ok. 4. Gruden was fired, sure. But, hey, David, who was it who traded Khalil Mack away again? I’ll let you think that over.
Continue…
“All he did was try to bring people in. He tried to bring in his best friend, which he was successful at in Davante Adams. That trade was dead. The Packers and the Raiders weren’t going to trade, right? They got on the phone and made it happen. So, he’s bringing people in the entire time.”
Again, sorry, let me stop you. That’s a great get and Derek deserves considerably credit for that. Adams has credited Derek for his coming to the Raiders. You said people, though. Who other than Adams is Derek credited with bringing in? Antonio Brown? Anyone else?
Sorry, keep going…
“Is he appreciated for that? No. I sit on this desk and every year I have to talk about Derek “Is he going to be replaced? Someone’s going to bring him in. They got to trade, they got to do this, they got to do that.’
Gotta jump in here to point out that’s the talk outside the organization. Kinda comes with the territory. Not unique to Derek. Though being a starting QB for nine years despite never winning a playoff game might be.
Go on…
“All he did was go out and be the all-time leading passer in the history of the Raiders.”
Nine years. Starting QB. Last Raiders QB to have nearly that many starts last took the field in Silver & Black 43 years ago. Bit of a different era.
I digress…
“So, when I look at this it wasn’t Derek that changed, it was the Raiders that changed. So, when I go forward with Derek that conversation of him being retired or a Raider is no longer an option. He’s playing football again. He’s reinvigorated. He’s going out and the Raiders are going to seek a trade, they’re going to bring trades, which Derek has a no-trade clause, and they’re going to listen. And he’s going to look for teams that have a stable situation between their head coach and their ownership, right? Stable. He’s also going to be looking for a team that is also looking for a quarterback that has a reputation for game-winning drives and fourth quarter comebacks. I’m excited. Maybe he’s the missing piece for someone. We’ll see what happens. I’m excited for my brother’s future. I’m a little upset. That’s what happens.”
Let’s be honest, the only way Derek was going to retire after his time with the Raiders is if they had kept giving him the keys to the offense indefinitely. He had nine years. When that’s not enough and he’s still seen as a victim, there was never really any chance he was going to retire rather than try to keep playing.
And that’s great news for the Raiders. They would very much like to get some compensation for him from a team that may buy into what David says and thinks Derek was never the issue with the Raiders and thinks they can salvage him.