Getty Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr
There’s no question that it’s been a tough start to the 2018 season for Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Even beyond the actual on-field aspect which featured the team starting 0-3 before knocking off the Cleveland Browns in Week 4.
Carr and the Raiders welcomed an entirely new coaching staff, and for the quarterback specifically, he’s had virtually no stability at head coach or offensive coordinator. Since entering the NFL in 2014, he’s had three offensive coordinators and four play-callers (Jon Gruden calls plays).
Speaking of Gruden, he’s the signal caller’s fourth coach in five years. But this offseason, Carr was tasked with learning his new coach’s daunting offensive gameplan while also watching one of his best friends in Khalil Mack get traded.
After Oakland’s recent win, Carr spoke like a player who felt as though a weight had been lifted off his back, as Matt Schneidman of the Bay Area News Group revealed.
Derek Carr: “I’ve been through a lot of things in five years. The start of this year and first half of this game has been some of the hardest stuff I’ve dealt with.”
Derek Carr’s Tough Path to Start NFL Career
While Carr has dealt with the constant rotating of coaches and offensive coordinators, he’s never complained or made excuses, even when struggling. Last season alone, a year which was unquestionably a disappointment, Carr played the bulk of the season at less than 100 percent with a back injury. In turn, the Raiders quarterback posted the worst numbers since his rookie season but continually took the blame and shouldered the burden.
Even going back further, Carr had finally built a rapport with an offensive coordinator in Bill Musgrove. His connection with the coordinator led to the former second-round pick throwing 60 touchdowns and just 19 interceptions in two seasons and posting a quarterback rating above 91 in each year.
But Raiders opted not to retain Musgrove, and instead handed control of the offense over to quarterbacks coach Todd Downing. While Downing was a friend of Carr, the two could never get the offense clicking, and the struggles were well-documented.
It certainly hasn’t been easy, and while Gruden’s arrival came with high expectations, the team trading Mack put a lot of pressure on both sides of the ball. Now, the 27-year-old is doing his best to make sure the Raiders don’t go into full rebuild mode.
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