Getty Josh McDaniels & Derek Carr.
If the latest rumors are to be believed, Josh McDaniels is gearing up to leave his job as the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots and take the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders. This could be either amazing or terrible news for Derek Carr. McDaniels is an offensive guru who had a ton of success developing Mac Jones this season. However, he also traded Jay Cutler very quickly after becoming the Denver Broncos head coach in 2009.
Carr is a great fit for the style of offense that McDaniels has run in the past and it seems like he’s a big reason the coach wants the job. According to NFL insider Mike Silver, both McDaniels and likely general manager Dave Ziegler are both fans of Carr.
If Josh McDaniels is hired as the @Raiders‘ next coach, Dave Ziegler would almost certainly be the GM. And in that scenario… the incoming coach and GM would arrive in Las Vegas with a high opinion of QB Derek Carr, from what I am told. Carr has one-year left on his contract.
This news shouldn’t be all too surprising. McDaniels has been picky in the past with jobs he’s considered taking. Having a stable quarterback like Carr will be appealing to the coach. The two could actually form a strong pairing.
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Will Carr Be Happy With a McDaniels Hiring?
Now that it appears McDaniels is a big fan of Carr, the Raiders just have to hope the quarterback feels the same about the coach. There’s no way to know exactly how Carr feels about McDaniels right now but should be open to the opportunity for playing with a strong offensive mind. The biggest concern with any Patriots assistant becoming a head coach is that they will grind their players until they can’t take it anymore.
Former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden was a huge grinder and very tough on his quarterbacks. If Carr survived him, he should be just fine working with McDaniels. Now, Carr made it clear that he wanted interim head coach Rich Bisaccia to come back next season. The Raiders deciding to go with a risky hire like McDaniels could rub Carr the wrong way. The coach may want to ensure that Carr is on board before he accepts any job offer.
A Carr Contract Extension Could Happen Soon
If Silver is correct about McDaniels and Ziegler liking Carr, then they need to start working on a contract extension as soon as they’re hired. Franchise quarterbacks don’t typically play on a year-to-year basis. Carr will want to get paid and deserves to after getting the Raiders to the playoffs this season.
Giving the quarterback an extension would quickly shut down rumors surrounding his status for a while. That would be a relief to Carr as the Raiders continue to be in the middle of quarterback rumors, even if they haven’t actually shown interest. Also, Carr is a lot closer to Tom Brady in terms of style of play than a quarterback like Russell Wilson. Trying to recapture that magic is likely playing a role in why McDaniels wants the Las Vegas job. Obviously, Carr isn’t Brady but McDaniels would be thrilled to have him over the likes of Cam Newton or Mac Jones.
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