After years of debate surrounding Derek Carr’s future with the franchise, the Las Vegas Raiders put them all to rest today. With a three-year contract extension worth $121.5 million, the Las Vegas front office has made a commitment to their quarterback. With a no-trade clause included as well, Carr will be a member of the Raiders for at least the next three seasons.
Carr, despite the constant off-field events of last year, had one of his best seasons. Already the Raiders’ all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, he added to those totals in 2021 with a career-high 4,804 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also got to experience playoff football for the first time in his career. After suffering a broken leg in 2016 that kept him from the playoffs, he and the Raiders gave the eventual AFC champion Bengals all they could handle in Cincinnati.
Derek Carr and the Raiders are ready to win now
Not satisfied with just making the playoffs, the Raiders have attacked the 2022 off-season in hopes of building a contender. First signing elite pass-rusher Chandler Jones, they then re-signed their own elite defender in Maxx Crosby.
Of course, they then traded for the league’s best wide receiver, Davante Adams. Carr’s best friend, he had been recruiting Adams to Vegas for years. Although the Raiders have been his favorite team since he was a kid, it is fair to wonder if Adams comes to the Raiders without the presence of Carr.
While Adams will take the headlines, the Raiders’ offense also features elite players in both Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. The running game which features the two-headed monster of Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake, promises to be a handful for defenses. Perhaps even more important, Las Vegas will have one of the NFL’s best play-callers in Josh McDaniels as their head coach.
A second-round pick back in 2014, Carr has signed his second massive contract extension with the Raiders as he continues to prove he wants to be a Raider for life. Despite all the headlines, it is clear that he was a huge reason why both McDaniels and Ziegler wanted to join the Raiders. As the clear face of the Las Vegas franchise, the focus now turns to winning the Super Bowl.
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*Top Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images