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What a difference a couple of weeks makes in the NFL. After Week 3, Derek Carr was leading the NFL in passing yards and was widely considered an MVP favorite. The Las Vegas Raiders were 3-0 and looked like one of the best teams in the NFL. In the last two weeks, the team was blown out by the Los Angeles Chargers and embarrassed at home by the Chicago Bears. Those losses aren’t solely on Carr but there’s no doubt he hasn’t been playing at the same level we saw from him in the first three games.
Carr is in an important year. He just has two years remaining on his contract. Having an MVP caliber year would lead to a massive payday for the veteran quarterback. However, he’s not even going to worry about that right now. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carr is putting off contract talks until the offseason.
“Derek Carr has no intention of working on a contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders during the season, league sources told ESPN,” wrote Schefter.
While there could be a lot to read into this update from Schefter, it’s likely doesn’t mean much.
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Carr Is Likely Trying to Help Raiders
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GettyJon Gruden, Derek Carr & Mike Mayock of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Carr isn’t tabling any contract talks because he’s unsure about wanting to stay a Raider. He’s made it clear that he won’t play for any other team. Schefter offered some more insight over why the quarterback isn’t wanting to engage in contract talks:
The Raiders also presently are up against the salary cap; their cash situation improves after this season, and they will have more to spend with the influx of money that their arrival in Las Vegas has brought. The NFL’s salary cap also is expected to rise in each of the next two years.
Carr was not looking for an extension this year, and his plan remains to wait until after this season to enter into talks, according to a source. He also intends to remain with the Raiders, as he has stated in the past.
Ultimately, Carr not pushing for an extension is good for the Raiders. He’s not going to play for another team and they don’t have a lot of money to play with right now.
Will Carr Get an Extension in the Offseason?
Early in the season, it looked like Carr was ready to become one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL once again. It’s now becoming murkier just how much money the Raiders will be willing to pay him. Carr has always had very high highs and low lows. In the two losses, he hasn’t played terribly despite what some more excitable fans might say.
The Raiders’ offensive line is a complete mess. Carr has been sacked 15 times this season, which is the most he’s been sacked in five games throughout his entire career. Not many quarterbacks can overcome having dreadful pass protection. It’s easy to be down on Carr now but he should pick things up. If he ends the season on a decent note, he’ll still be in for a contract extension.
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