EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 06: Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders throws the ball during warmups before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 06, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)As the quarterback carousel continues to spin around and around this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders seem perfectly content to hold onto their franchise star, Derek Carr.
The 29-year-old, former second round pick, is fresh off of another strong year. He started every game under center for the Raiders in 2020 and threw for a career-high 4,103 yards and 27 touchdowns. Carr did so while completing over 67 percent of his passes and tossing just nine interceptions.
However, Las Vegas stumbled along to an 8-8 record and a second place finish in the AFC West. Even so, Carr won’t have to shoulder the blame. The Raiders ranked 10th in team offense, but clocked in at 30th in the league on defense. On average, Jon Gruden’s squad gave up nearly 30 points per game.
As a result of weaknesses in other areas, the Raiders seem perfectly content to hold onto their seventh year quarterback. Although other organizations seem be rolling the dice and asking about Carr’s availability, Las Vegas has reportedly shot the inquiries down.
“Teams have called and have offered and have all been told no,” David Carr, Derek’s brother, said on NFL Network, per James Palmer.
“Teams have called and have offered and have all been told no.” – David Carr on @nflnetwork on his brother Derek Carr
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) February 10, 2021
David’s report remains right in line with what Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said at the end of this year’s campaign. The Las Vegas executive implied that the team hoped to hold onto “good players, for as long as we can” as he lauded Carr’s play during the 2020 season.
“I think the most important point is that Derek did have an exceptional year,” Mayock said, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I think he’s gotten better each year with Jon (Gruden), which is kind of exciting to us internally.”
Although Carr has the defense of his general manager and head coach, eventually he’ll need to earn results on the football field. Since he became the team’s starter in 2014, the Raiders are 47-63 with him under center.
Plenty of those losses can be blamed on other facets of Las Vegas’s team, but a quarterback is often judged by his win-loss record. Carr still has room to improve and will need to do so in 2021 if he hopes to keep his job.
