The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is just days away, and with it, the return of Las Vegas Raiders football. One position group to keep an eye on will be the quarterbacks, led by coach Bo Hardegree.
Hardegree, who has been in the NFL since 2014, served with new head coach Josh McDaniels last year in New England as an offensive assistant. In his first year as a quarterback’s coach, Hardegree leads a group that went through several changes this offseason. Derek Carr received an extension and the team moved on from Marcus Mariota and Nathan Peterman. In their place, the Raiders now have Jarrett Stidham, Nick Mullens, and Chase Garbers.
While speaking to the media this past weekend, Hardegree was asked about this current batch of Raiders quarterbacks, particularly what his early impression was.
“It’s a great group. Those guys work hard [and] ask a lot of questions. They put the time in. What I’m excited about is that they put the time in away from me, and that’s showing up every day they come to work.”
What did Hardegree have to say about the Raiders’ starting quarterback?
The coach was also asked what his thoughts were on Carr. Coming into this season, Carr finds himself having to adapt to and learn a new offensive system. That’s something that has sort of defined the career of No. 4, little stability. Without giving too much detail, Hardegree made it a point to mention Carr’s competitive streak.
“I always thought that he was a great player. He’s a great competitor. He’s won a lot of football games [and] played a lot of good football. I’m just excited to coach him and get him better every day.”
So far, Hardegree has nothing but good things to say about Carr, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. Essentially, Carr is thriving and consistently improving each day, which should be to the delight of Raiders fans. But what about the man who is backing up Carr? The QB2 position battle has gone without much ado. Many fans could care less about who is the backup but anyone worth their weight, knows this is an important role.
With Thursday’s matchup nearly here, Hardegree shared his thoughts on what he and the rest of the offensive coaching staff are looking for from their quarterbacks.
“Just execution. Just going out and having fun. Sticking to our rules and going out and playing. I’m really excited to see those guys go compete and play football.”
Raiders fans are no doubt excited to have football back (even if it’s preseason), but this first game will be important for Carr’s backups to show off how much they’ve progressed. The smart money is on Stidham as being McDaniels’ choice, given their history. However, that is why they play the game.
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*Top Photo: Courtesy of Dailymotion