One of the possible landing spots for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr this offseason could see him reunite with Jack Del Rio. The former Raiders head coach remains the defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders heading into 2023. Interestingly, if you take a look around the internet, Washington is being listed as a possible destination for Carr. When you take a closer look, seeing Carr and Del Rio team up again starts to make sense.
For example, Mike Florio and Peter King were chopping it up on Pro Football Talk this week, and the Carr debate reared its head. Florio believes that because of the Oakland roots that Carr and Del Rio share, their history could play a role this offseason. Of course, we’re then assuming the Commanders are seriously considering No. 4 as an option.
“His former head coach in Oakland, Jack Del Rio, is still the defensive coordinator there. I’d love to know what Del Rio is going to say to GM Martin Mayhew and head coach Ron Rivera about whether they should sprint to get Derek Carr, walk slowly, or go in a different direction. Those are things that Del Rio, even given his habit of periodic loquaciousness, would probably not tell the world. I’d love to know what he’s telling them about whether they need to go after Carr. [That’s] because they’ve become ‘Colts lite’ in this never-ending quest for a veteran quarterback. This is one you have some inside information because you got the guy that coached him multiple years in Oakland.”
Would the Commanders consider Derek Carr? Would Del Rio put in the good word?
For those of you who might’ve forgotten, Carr did have his best years under Del Rio. For example, Carr threw for a career-high 32 touchdowns and was awarded his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015. Then, Carr followed up that effort in 2016 with 12 wins as the starting quarterback along with another Pro Bowl trip. Carr finished third in the NFL MVP race that year under Del Rio. While Del Rio runs the Commanders’ defense, he’d be the one most familiar with Carr in that building. When the Raiders finally benched Carr, it was Del Rio who had nothing but positive things to say about his former quarterback.
“I like Derek. We won 12 games with Derek and had a really strong season with Derek, really three pretty good seasons with him. I think he’s a good player. They’re doing what they feel they need to do but I certainly appreciated having him and the things we were able to do together.”
Mayhew, the Commanders’ general manager, recently didn’t rule out bringing in a veteran quarterback this offseason. With Sam Howell not quite ready to take the reins, Carr might be a stop-gap solution for at least a couple of years. Carr wouldn’t be without help in Washington either. There are already some impressive weapons in Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, and a solid running game to protect their quarterback as well. At the same time, there’s currently no offensive coordinator in place. The decision on who to bring in could either help them land Carr or cause the quarterback, assuming he’s a free agent, to pass.
Return to the scene of the crime all these years later?
Maybe Carr and Del Rio can rekindle some of that 2016 magic that was left in Oakland. Or, in an ironic twist, we might see Carr and Del Rio reunited in Washington all these years later. They’d be together again in the place that altered the course of many people’s futures back in 2017.
*Top Photo: NBC Sports/Bay Area Sports