Derek Carr has been involved with a lot of rumors the last few seasons. Whether it is just fans speculating or the team hinting at looking at other options, the amount of noise just hasn’t been avoidable. However, the Las Vegas Raiders just delivered a statement that they are committed to their franchise quarterback.
It was just announced that the team inked Carr to a three-year extension. The deal is worth up to $121.5 million and runs through the 2025 season. It also has a no-trade clause included, so we won’t be seeing him moved anytime soon. So, was this worth it? Carr definitely thinks so. He said, “I’ve only wanted to be a Raider. And I told my agent, I said, I’m either going to be a Raider or I’m going to be playing golf. Like I don’t want to be playing anywhere else. That’s how much this place means to me.”
The money is quite a bit for the Raiders. They will be spending an average of $40.5 million a year on this new deal. This ranks fifth in the league among quarterbacks. Although, his numbers are pretty impressive. He has the franchises single season record for passing yards for example. This was done in 2021 with 4,804. He had to pass Rich Gannon and his 2002 MVP season.
Is Derek Carr Worth the Money?
His stats are severely underrated. He was in the top eight in the league in passing yards per game (282.6), completion percentage (64.8) and passing yards per attempt (7.7). This was all despite losing his head coach and his top wide receiver for the second half of the season. He also had Darren Waller in and out of the lineup with numerous injuries. Carr also has the fourth most passing yards in the league since 2018. He trails only Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Patrick Mahomes.
Carr and the teams new head coach, Josh McDaniel’s, talked about how he actually wanted to have a cap friendly salary. While the money says a different story, he did take less so that the Raiders can remain competitive in free agency. This is something that other quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers simply can’t say.
All in all, this seems like the perfect move for Las Vegas. Carr will now be getting a healthy Waller, Davante Adams and an improved Hunter Renfrow in this offense. This isn’t even mentioning Chandler Jones on the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders will be competitive this year, and Carr will be to thank for that. It was best not to shake things up when they didn’t need changing.
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