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In the first quarter of Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr hurt his groin on a play he was rolling out on. He was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game as Marcus Mariota took over. It was certainly concerning that he was ruled out so quickly but the injury might not be too significant.
After the game, Jon Gruden said that Carr didn’t suffer a tear. The coach revealed more insight on Friday and gave a somewhat positive update on the quarterback.
“I met with Derek this morning and he is still sore,” Gruden said. “I think there’s a chance, but being conservative right now, I would say it’s 50/50.”
A 50/50 shot of playing next week is much better than him being out for the season. A groin tear probably would’ve also hurt his offseason. While Gruden appears to think there’s some shot Carr should play against the Miami Dolphins in Week 16, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the groin injury is “significant” and Carr should be out for at least 10-to-14 days.
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Can Carr Tough It Out?
Carr has played through injuries before so he doesn’t have anything to prove regarding his toughness. Luckily, he suffered this injury on a Thursday. That will give him extra time to recover before the Raiders play the Dolphins next Saturday. Whether or not it’s enough time remains to be seen.
Throughout his seven-year career, Carr has only missed two games due to injury. He even played after suffering broken bones in his back in 2017. A little soreness in his groin won’t keep him out unless it’s really painful. There’s a chance he’ll be able to tough it out but the Dolphins have a strong defense and the playoff are essentially out of reach unless the Raiders get really lucky. It would probably be wise to try and keep Carr healthy heading into a very important offseason.
Marcus Mariota Proved to Be Capable
If Carr can’t go, the Raiders are fortunate that they have a capable backup on their roster. Marcus Mariota played very well in relief of Carr on Thursday. He made big plays with his legs and his arm. The former Heisman Trophy winner showed why the Raiders gave him so much money to be a backup in the offseason.
While Mariota played well, Carr would still be the better option at quarterback if he’s healthy. He’s got the better arm and more command of Gruden’s offense. However, Mariota brings a very different skill set to the table. With the playoffs not likely to happen this year, the Raiders should see what they have in Mariota. It appears Carr is the franchise quarterback but Mariota playing well only helps the team. There are plenty of teams out there that need quarterbacks. Perhaps the Raiders could get a draft pick from another team for Mariota.
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Raiders’ Jon Gruden Offers Injury Update on Derek Car