Getty Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr and Chicago Bears pass-rusher Khalil Mack.
Reactions poured in following the news that the Oakland Raiders had opted to trade star pass-rusher Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears. One of those reactions was from Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who’s also one of Mack’s closest friends. As you can imagine, the young signal caller was more than a bit surprised.
Carr’s initial reaction came on Twitter and was two simple words.
No way
A bit after, it seemed the Raiders quarterback was able to gather his thoughts and do his best to rally the fanbase.
This is the sucky part of this business… Mornings like this, but we have a season to play and games to win!! #RaiderNation we feel your pain trust me but we need you next Monday night! 💀
On Monday, though, Carr was slated to speak to the media, and one of the biggest topics was, of course, the trade of Mack. He was immediately asked about his feelings, and Carr laid it all on the table, specifically stating how hard it is to lose a person he considers to be his “brother” and a best friend.
“It’s not what anybody wanted, I think that’s clear. It is what it is, it’s part of the business. It’s one of those sucky things that happened. The hardest part for me is, obviously, you lose a good football player, but he’s my brother, man, that’s one of my best friends. I think that’s the hardest part is that I don’t get to see my friend every day.” Carr told reporters.
The duo entered the league together during the 2014 NFL Draft, as Mack was the No. 5 overall pick by the team and Carr was selected with the No. 36 pick in the second round. It’s obvious these two will miss playing together, and the Raiders quarterback probably isn’t thrilled about the thought of his former teammate chasing him down during their matchup in 2019.