Getty Oakland Raiders' Derek Carr & Jon Gruden.
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr may have his faults, but his character has never come into question. He’s one of the most straight-laced players in the NFL. Carr is a fiery leader for the team, but never causes any trouble and doesn’t even cuss. The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award is an award that is handed out each NFL season and the Raiders decided to nominate Carr for the honor.
Here’s what the Raiders had to say:
Each NFL team nominated one of its players for the award, which recognizes players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field, and the Oakland Raiders nominee is quarterback Derek Carr.
Each team’s player is nominated by the organization’s Director of Public/Media Relations. This marks the fourth straight year that Carr has been nominated for the award, which was won by Charles Woodson in 2015.
As the team mentions, Carr has been nominated four straight years in a row and the last/only Raider to win the award was Charles Woodson. The winner is determined by players and that player will receive a $25,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to a charity of his choice. Plus, the winner receives a trophy.
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Could Derek Carr Win Other Awards This Season?
Derek Carr hasn’t won many awards in his NFL career. In fact, the only award he has won is the Castrol EDGE Clutch Performer of the Year in 2016. He was an absolute monster in the fourth quarter during that season, so the award was well deserved. He also finished third in MVP voting that season.
Carr already has a couple of fourth-quarter comebacks in 2019, so he could be on his way to another clutch reward. One award that nobody is currently talking about Carr as a potential candidate is MVP. At this juncture, it’s hard to imagine the quarterback inserting himself in the MVP race. He started off the season too slowly. However, he’s been instrumental in more than a few games for the Raiders. If Oakland can win the AFC West, much of that is going to be thanks to Carr. He’s been having a strong season and has been getting better as the season goes on. Keep an eye on him as a sleeper MVP candidate if he keeps playing well.
Darren Waller or Richie Incognito for Comeback Player of the Year?
The Comeback Player of the Year award should run through Oakland this year. Tight end Darren Waller went from almost nothing to one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. Richie Incognito was out of the NFL and it looked like he was done, but he’s now playing at a pro bowl level and Troy Aikman believes he’s the best guard in the NFL.
That’s not even mentioning Benson Mayowa, who has seven sacks so far in 2019. He’s never passed six in a whole season before. The Raiders have done an excellent job of getting the most from underachieving players and at least one of the three guys mentioned deserves recognition.
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