In 2014 the Oakland Raiders selected Derek Carr in the second round after years and years of quarterback problems. They went from JaMarcus Russell, to Jason Campbell, and Carson Palmer. The Raiders would have a hard time finding their franchise QB, until they selected Derek Carr. The future Pro-Bowl QB would make an instant impact for the offense as in his first 2 NFL seasons he would throw for 7,257 yards, 53 Touchdowns, and 25 interceptions.

Throughout time, Carr got the weapons he needed with WR Amari Cooper making an instant impact and playing good enough to be a Pro-Bowler. Micheal Crabtree also brought leadership, as well as having an instant impact on the offense as well.

Through the years, Derek Carr would make the Raiders look promising, as he threw for 11,420 yards, 82 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions in three years, and he finished third in MVP voting after leading the Raiders to the playoffs in the 2016-17 season. Although Carr would end up breaking his fibula in week 16, and Raiders would end up losing to the Texans in the wildcard round.

Two seasons later the Raiders would sign Jon Gruden to a 10-year contract, which would be the longest coaching deal in NFL history, and changes would instantly be made. Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper were traded, and the Raiders plummeted to the bottom of the NFL, as they finished 4-12. Derek Carr was helpless.

Regardless of how the Raiders played that season, Derek Carr would throw over 4,000 yards for the first time in his career. For the first five seasons of his career, his QBR would sit in the mid-50s, and the low-40s, but he would still get the job done regardless of the challenge.

Carr is one of the most loyal QBs in the NFL, as he’s gone through countless rebuilds, seen his teammates go to new teams, has gone through plenty of coaches, and has still kept his head up and kept his team motivated and hungry to win games. After signing a 5 year contract back in 2017, it’s clear that Carr loves the team that he’s on, and he has no plans of leaving anytime soon.

His last two seasons would be his best so far, as he threw for 8,157 yards, 48 touchdowns, and only 17 interceptions. Carr’s stats jumped, as he proved to be one of the most accurate QBs in the NFL with his completion percentage up in the high 60’s and low 70’s. His QBR would jump up from 46.5 to 71.0 as well. 

Carr already holds several franchise records for the Raiders including the most passing yards (26,896), completions (2,468), completion percentage, and the most touchdowns (170) passing QB Ken Stabler(150). Carr was ranked #2 in deep passes this season, and he is one of the most clutch quarterbacks as well, with 20 4th-quarter comebacks, which is an unbelievable stat.

Carr’s impact for the offense is one of the main reasons why the Raiders have a top 10 offense in the NFL. Players like Darren Waller, Josh Jacobs, and many more all had a massive impact for the team, so saying that the Raiders offense isn’t great is just ignorant. The offense is the one of the reasons the Raiders could even keep games close last season. With a good defense, Carr could lead this team far into the playoffs. With no doubt in my mind, if the Raiders defense shows up this season, Las Vegas will make the playoffs.

The Raiders have a lot of young talent in their WR core, like Henry Ruggs, Hunter Renfrow, and Bryan Edwards, who all have had an impact on the offense already. Derek Carr gets overlooked by analysts, fans, sports officials, and many more. It’s time to give Carr the respect he deserves for his countless hours and dedication to the sport of football. Derek Carr still has what it takes to lead his team to the NFL playoffs.

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