Getty Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
After years of uncertainty, Derek Carr finally appears to have a stable situation with the Las Vegas Raiders. The veteran quarterback received a three-year contract extension this offseason and head coach Josh McDaniels has made it clear that the Raiders are his team. He’s received much more commitment in the last few months than he ever did during Jon Gruden’s tenure with the team.
Carr hasn’t always had the easiest time. The Raiders are consistently one of the most dysfunctional organizations in the NFL. Things are starting to stabilize under McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. They committed to the quarterback and traded for the best wide receiver in the NFL in Davante Adams. Carr has never been this set up for success throughout his entire career.
Six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Gerald McCoy has seen a lot of great quarterback play over his time in the league. He always thought Carr was a good quarterback and that was reaffirmed when he joined the Raiders last season.
“[Carr] wasn’t better than I thought. I’ve always been a Derek Carr fan, and he’ll tell you that,” McCoy said on “The Herd.” “I told him that from afar, and when I got there I told him that. I’ve always thought he’s underrated. Anybody that knows me knows that I’ve always said he’s underrated.
“You don’t have that many fourth-quarter comebacks or game-winning drives without being special,” McCoy explained. “I just think he got a bad rap, a lot of bad situations around him, but he showed his resilience last year, and I’m excited to see what he can do this year with that type of team around him, and with McDaniels giving him a system that fits him.”
“I’ve always thought Derek Carr is underrated. You don’t have that many 4th quarter comebacks or game winning drives and not be special.”
@Geraldini93 joins us in studio
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Is Carr Truly Underrated?
Carr has taken a lot of shots over the years from fans and rival players. While he hasn’t always been perfect, he’s also dealt with a lot. The Raiders have had seven different head coaches since Carr was drafted and are on their third general manager. He’s also never had a true elite No. 1 wide receiver.
The best roster Carr ever had around him was in 2016 and he finished third in MVP voting that season. The 2022 roster could be even better as Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow are one of the best-receiving trios in the NFL. If Carr is truly underrated, he will come out and have a massive year in 2022.
McDaniels Impressed With Carr’s IQ
One thing that coaches have always appreciated about Carr is his intelligence. He’s had some tough offensive coaches to work with in Gruden and now McDaniels. However, despite the coaches being known for having complicated offenses, Carr hasn’t struggled to pick them up. McDaniels has been quite impressed with the quarterback’s football IQ so far.
“He’s a really smart football player,” McDaniels said last month. “You don’t have to say it five times for him to get it. There’s a natural way he learns that it’s pretty easy for a coach, and he’s a great leader. His teammates follow him. He’s a competitive guy. He wants to do it the way you want it done, which I love about him.”
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Ex-Raiders Teammate Issues Strong Thoughts on Derek Carr