Getty Jon Gruden, Derek Carr & Marcus Mariota of the Las Vegas Raiders.
It appears that Derek Carr will defy the odds. After suffering a groin injury against Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15, it looked like the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback was done for the year. The team is essentially out of the playoff race and backup Marcus Mariota played well in relief of Carr.
Despite all of that, Carr should be good to go for Saturday’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The Raiders gave the quarterback no status on Thursday’s injury report which means he should play barring a setback. This is a surprising development as groin injuries can be very difficult to play through. Carr is in the midst of arguably his best season as a pro and ending it on a strong note would be very good for the team heading into the offseason. While it’s risky for him to play through the injury with the playoffs almost out of reach, Carr will be making a statement if he’s able to play well despite the injury.
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Jon Gruden Gives More Insight on Injury Status
It does look like Carr will play on Saturday but nothing is official quite yet. Head coach Jon Gruden wouldn’t “let the cat out of the bag” on Thursday but he sounds confident Carr will be able to go.
“These groins are funny. You saw what happened Thursday night,” Gruden said. “He’s running to his right and he’s out the rest of the game. I’m not going to say anything other than I’m optimistic, but I’m not a mind-reader. I just know that he had an injury that caused him to miss the game last week and I respect that. He’s a tough guy, man. I’m optimistic he’ll be ready to go, yes.”
Gruden loves it when guys play through pain, especially from his team’s most important player. If Carr can go, it’s certainly a tone-setter. The Raiders have been in the midst of a terrible slump and losing two more games to end the year would not be great for morale heading into the offseason. On the flip side, two wins and a 9-7 record would be a solid end to an uneven season.
Is Letting Carr Play the Right Move?
There’s no doubt that Carr is showing his gamesmanship if he plays on Saturday. That’s all well and good but it might not be the smartest move. The Raiders very likely aren’t going to the playoffs this year. It’s understandable why Carr would be motivated to get the team to 9-7 but it doesn’t help anybody if he tears his groin and misses valuable offseason workouts because of it.
Plus, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to see what Mariota can do. Even if he started the last two games, he’s probably not taking Carr’s job. That said, it could help his value in a potential trade or give the Raiders a better idea of how they could use him in creative ways.
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