Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
The Las Vegas Raiders and Derek Carr are undergoing a major adjustment period. The quarterback has never played for another team and the Raiders haven’t had a new starting quarterback in nine years. While things weren’t pretty in the end, the two sides have made sure to show each other respect instead of taking shots.
Carr is now with the New Orleans Saints and is excited about the opportunity for a fresh start. The only two constants with the Raiders over the past nine years were Carr and owner Mark Davis. Together, they only saw the team reach the playoffs twice in that span. Davis believes he’s at fault for not setting Carr up for success. The quarterback recently revealed the last conversation he had with the owner after he was released by the team.
“I talked to Mr. Davis at [Darren] Waller’s wedding. It was the first time we talked since everything, and when we talked, he walked up and shook my hand,” Carr said on the March 27 episode of the “Harvester Sports” podcast. “It was like the biggest ‘thank you’ he could have ever given me. He said ‘Over my years there are things I wish I had [done] better.’ I was like ‘Me too. Of course. We’re humans. We’re always going to have that.’ We talked and he said ‘thank you so much for always giving it your best.’”
Though Carr will no longer be playing quarterback for the Raiders, he let Davis know that he would like to return to the organization someday when he’s no longer with the Saints.
“He went on for like 5 minutes and that for me was like, getting a thank you for the work, a thank you for breaking my ankle, and my back, and my finger, the neck, the concussion, the ribs, the surgeries, and all that. Sometimes a ‘thank you’ is nice. It was so professional and so nice, I was like ‘anything you need, I’m going to go play somewhere else, but when that’s done of course I’m going to come back and help you and help the organization.”
Watch Derek Carr describe his conversation with Mark Davis at Waller’s wedding.
“It was like the biggest thank you he could have ever given me.”
Carr Says He’ll Always Be a Raider
Carr leaves the Raiders as the most prolific passer in franchise history. He holds the team records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. It’s going to take a very long time for another quarterback to surpass him. He’s no longer wearing silver and black but he made it clear that he’s a Raider for life.
“I’m a Raider,” Carr said. “When I retire someday, you can’t take that away from me. You can’t take away what I did in Oakland. You can’t take away what I did in Las Vegas. You can be mad at it, but you can’t take it away.”
“I’m a Raider. When I retire some day, you can’t take that away from me. You can’t take away what I did in Oakland. You can’t take away what I did in Las Vegas. You can be mad at it, but you can’t take it away”☠️
Full pod: t.co/Ofb9gDbKqJ
In What Capacity Could Carr Return to Raiders?
The Raiders have always been a franchise that has given opportunities to former players. Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown was consistently involved with the team as were many others. It is possible that when Carr is done playing the Raiders could have a role for him.
It remains to be seen what the role could be. Carr hasn’t expressed interest in coaching but the Raiders could always find something for him. He could also just a be consultant and he doesn’t necessarily need a defined role to be involved with the team. Regardless, it sounds like he would like to be connected in some capacity once he’s done playing football.