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Derek Carr left the Las Vegas Raiders as the most statistically proficient quarterback in team history, but that didn’t stop former Raider QB Rich Gannon from taking another shot at Carr.
“There are as many as 10 teams that could be in the quarterback market,” Gannon said in a February 14 story published on the The 33rd Team. “Will Derek Carr be an upgrade over what they currently have? Without question, yes. But how much of an upgrade is my point. … I don’t know that Carr is going to go somewhere in 2023 and put that team on his shoulders and take them to a division title.”
Gannon, who played six seasons for the Oakland Raiders (1999-2004), has long been critical of Carr. In mid-November, he suggested on The 33rd Team, for whom he is an analyst, that “at some point [Gannon] has to step up and play better.” Six weeks later, the Raiders benched Carr, effectively ending his nine-year run with the team.
Rich Gannon Criticized on Twitter
Gannon has said that the most important stat for a quarterback is wins. And Carr has fewer of them than he does losses. He went 63-79 during the regular season and never won a playoff game.
His prediction, tweeted by The 33rd Team, that Carr won’t be able to carry the next team who signs him was met with criticism.
“This is coming from a guy who basically did nothing for the 1st 12 yrs of his career. Then got to a Raider team team that was stacked on both sides,” one person wrote on Twitter, referring to Gannon’s years with the Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington’s football team. During that time, he went 37-21, often serving as a backup. It wasn’t until Gannon signed with the Raiders in 1999 that his career took off at age 34. He went 76-56 and won five playoff games. He also won the league MVP in 2002.
Replying to the same 33rd Team tweet, one fan intimated that Carr might just need a change of scenery.
“Look, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m a Derek Carr defender as he definitely did not play well in spots including this year,” the fan tweeted. “However, there were questions about Rich Gannon before he came to the Raiders in 1999. Carr along with the Raiders could use a change.”
Greg Jennings Sees Jets as ‘Perfect’ Fit for Derek Carr
Carr, who will turn 32 in March, will become a free agent on March 15, and several teams are expected to be interested in him. One former NFL star, also on The 33rd Team, said he thought the New York Jets would be a good fit.
“I think the New York Jets is a perfect spot,” Jennings said. “When you think about what they have already on their roster, it’s ready-made with the insertion of a [quality] quarterback. The Jets wouldn’t have to give anything up; they can just acquire Derek Carr for whatever that contract will look like and whatever he’s trying to get.”
Carr had been linked to the New Orleans Saints, but he told the Raiders before his February 14 release that he would not accept a trade to New Orleans.
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