Derek Carr - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders, Derek Carr Agree To $121MM+ Deal

April 13th, 2022 at 5:12pm CST by Zachary Links

5:12pm: Carr’s contract contains a $65.5MM injury guarantee, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, and the deal will give the ninth-year veteran a $5.2MM raise in 2022 (Twitter link). Carr will make $24.9MM fully guaranteed in 2022, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.

A key date comes after Super Bowl LVII. Three days after the Super Bowl, Carr will see $40.5MM — his $33MM 2023 salary and $7.5MM of his 2024 pay — become fully guaranteed, Breer tweets. This would give the Raiders a small window to work out a trade in 2023, but Carr’s no-trade clause gives him final say on any potential escape-hatch deal for the team.

9:33am: The Raiders and Derek Carr have agreed to terms on a three-year extension worth $121.5MM (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). With that, the Raiders’ star quarterback will remain in place through the 2025 season.

Carr’s deal includes a no-trade clause (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo), a rarity in the NFL enjoyed by only about a dozen players. All together, Carr is set to earn $141.3MM over the next four years, with $100MM of it coming in the next three seasons, per Garafolo. That’s player-friendly cashflow for Carr, who was fighting for his Raiders future just a couple of years ago.

It’s the latest splash in the Raiders’ busy offseason, following their acquisition of wide receiver Davante Adams. Ultimately, GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels have kept much of the core in tact while revamping the team after a tumultuous 2021.

Carr’s $40.5MM new-money average puts him fifth among all quarterbacks and, as noted by NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link), he’s now the seventh member of the league’s $40MM/year club, joining Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott.

Carr, who just turned 31, had one year to go on his old deal with a cap hit of $19.8MM. After he notched a career-high 4,804 passing yards en route to his first ever playoff appearance, the Raiders were unwilling to risk losing him. Now, Carr’s got a fat new contract and an old friend in Adams, his former teammate at Fresno State.

“Derek’s fit on the team, as a player, is obviously what we’re looking for and what we’re trying to build around,” McDaniels said recently. “[When it comes to the contract,] you try and do what’s best for the team. When we get into those conversations with Derek, Derek’s going to have to make decisions about what’s best for him… There will be a sweet spot in there hopefully for everybody, and we’ll be excited to go forward like that.”

Today, the Raiders are undoubtedly excited as they’ve locked up their three-time Pro Bowler for years to come.

Raiders Beginning Extension Talks With Derek Carr

March 31st, 2022 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Amidst a slew of major moves in the AFC West this offseason – including two notable additions by the Raiders – one priority has remained the same. An extension for quarterback Derek Carr is something the team’s new front office has begun working towards, per Vic Tafur of the Athletic (subscription required).

As Tafur reports, talks have begun between the Raiders and Carr’s camp regarding a new deal. The just-turned 31-year-old has one year remaining on his current contract, which carries a cap hit of $19.8MM. Earlier this month, it was reported that an extension was expected to be coming “sooner than later“.

Besides the level of Carr’s play in its own regard this season (including a career-high 4,804 passing yards and his first ever playoff appearance), the main reason that was the case was Las Vegas’ acquisition of Davante Adams. The two played together at Fresno State, and the teams’ willingness to trade for Adams signalled they were prepared to make a commitment to Carr as well. New head coach Josh McDaniels said, “Derek’s fit on the team, as a player, is obviously what we’re looking for and what we’re trying to build around”.

As for a new contract, McDaniels added, “Ultimately you try and do what’s best for the team… when we get into those conversations with Derek, Derek’s going to have to make decisions about what’s best for him… There will be a sweet spot in there hopefully for everybody, and we’ll be excited to go forward like that.”

While that comment was quickly met with a response from Tim Younger, Carr’s agent (on Twitter), Tafur notes that “talks have not grown adversarial” between the two camps. That will be a welcomed sign for the Raiders, as they try to secure the three-time Pro Bowler for the foreseeable future.

Latest On Raiders QB Derek Carr

March 17th, 2022 at 8:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Derek Carr got his wish earlier tonight when the Packers traded for wideout Davante Adams. Next up: a lucrative extension. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders will now pivot to extending their quarterback. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that an extension is coming “sooner than later.”

When the Raiders hired Dave Ziegler as GM and Josh McDaniels as head coach, some were questioning whether Carr would be moved. The organization continued to say that Carr would be sticking around Las Vegas, and the Raiders’ decision to reunite their QB with his college WR all but confirms that Carr will be with the team for the foreseeable future.

Back in 2017, Carr became the first player in the NFL to average $25MM per season. Even while breaking that barrier, Carr claimed at the time that he was leaving money on the table. Pundits posit that Carr has earned near-top-tier money that could make him yet another quarterback to join the $40MM per year club, joining the likes Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Dak Prescott.

Carr’s current deal runs through the 2022 season, so the two sides will surely want to complete a deal before the offseason is over. The front office has already spent big money to extend Adams and Maxx Crosby, so Carr should see a lucrative contract before long.

Raiders, Maxx Crosby Working On Deal

March 6th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders and defensive end Maxx Crosby are working on a new contract that would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. Meanwhile, they’re prioritizing Crosby’s deal over an extension for quarterback Derek Carr.

Crosby, a 2019 fourth-round pick, has blossomed into one of the Raiders’ most impactful defenders. The Eastern Michigan product still has one more year to go on his deal, but new Raiders GM Dave Ziegler doesn’t want to let him get anywhere near the open market. Ziegler doesn’t want to show his hand or come on too strong, but he’s hinted that a Crosby contract is on the agenda.

“As we’re kind of going through free agency and getting to the draft, there are going to be some of those organic conversations you’re going to have. I wouldn’t say we’re there yet,” Ziegler said. “I know it’s a curious question and I get that, but we’re just trying to take so many small bites right now. In due time, we’ll look at all those things. But it’s always good to have good players.”

Crosby, 24, earned his trip to the Pro Bowl in 2021 with eight sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss, and a league-leading 92 pressures. All in all, he’s got 25 sacks to his credit with perfect attendance throughout his young career. Tafur believes that Crosby could land in the second tier of edge rushers, somewhere behind T.J. Watt ($28MM/year), Joey Bosa ($27MM/year), and Myles Garrett ($25MM/year). A deal similar to that of Chiefs DE Frank Clark (five years, $105.5MM) could make sense, Tafur writes, though it’s worth noting that Clark inked his deal in 2019, before the market really picked up. Crosby also has stronger numbers than Clark, so there’s a case for a higher AAV.

Carr, meanwhile, set a new personal watermark in passing yards (4,804) with 23 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and a 68%+ completion rate. He also brought the Raiders to the playoffs, but the new regime may still prefer to start fresh.

“Multiple Teams” Interested In Derek Carr

March 4th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

With plenty of questions surrounding the biggest names who may or may not be on the quarterback market, other signal callers have generated buzz. One of those is Derek Carr, whose future has been thought to be in doubt given his contract status and the arrival of a new regime in Las Vegas. Not surprisingly, then, Vincent Bonsignore of The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports (via Twitter) that there could be a trade market developing for him.

Specifically, Bonsignore states that “multiple teams have expressed interest” in Carr. Again, that doesn’t come as a surprise, given that he only has one year remaining on his current deal. At a cap hit under $20MM, he would be an appealing acquisition for a number of teams looking for at least a bridge QB in the short- to medium-term. However, new head coach Josh McDaniels said earlier this week there was “no doubt” Carr would remain the Raiders’ starter in 2022.

Once it had been announced that McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were being hired, there was a reported “mutual admiration” between Carr – who will be 31 by the beginning of next season – and the new men in charge. He set a career high in passing yards last year with 4,804, adding 23 touchdowns while completing over 68% of his passes. Most importantly, he made his playoff debut in his eighth season, all with the Raiders.

While all signs point to Carr remaining in Vegas, Bonsignore adds that outside interest should “continue to heat up” as long as Carr’s future beyond 2022 remains up in the air. Between contract talks, and other QB dominoes falling in the coming days and weeks, more clarity on this situation could be coming soon.

Josh McDaniels: Derek Carr To Remain Raiders’ Starter

March 2nd, 2022 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh McDaniels‘ first try as a head coach involved an early feud with the team’s starting quarterback and a seismic trade occurring soon after. It does not appear the new Raiders HC has his sights set on a quarterback change to start his second HC go-round.

When asked by NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero if he was prepared to confirm Derek Carr would be Las Vegas’ Week 1 starter, McDaniels indicated there was “no doubt” this would be the case (video link). This follows a report that indicated mutual respect exists between Carr and the longtime Patriots offensive coordinator. This would be Carr’s ninth season as the Raiders’ QB1.

In Denver, McDaniels’ irking of Jay Cutler led to a stunning trade in April 2009, sending the 2008 Pro Bowler to Chicago for a package of picks. McDaniels trading up for Tim Tebow in the 2010 first round added to a dismal quarterback run for the young coach/de facto personnel czar in Denver. It seems McDaniels is eyeing a more stable start to his Raiders tenure.

Carr spent most of Jon Gruden‘s stay in trade rumors, but the Raiders kept going year to year with the Reggie McKenzie-era draftee. The Raiders brought in Marcus Mariota to push Carr in 2020, but the longtime starter staved off the former No. 2 overall pick. Mariota is on track for free agency again. Last season, Carr led the Raiders to the playoffs despite the midseason exits of Gruden and Henry Ruggs. Carr finished with a career-high 282.6 passing yards per game, though his QBR figure (52.4, 14th) dropped after back-to-back marks above 64 (10th, 11th).

The Raiders will soon need to make a decision on Carr, and McDaniels added (via Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed, on Twitter) the sides have not begun extension discussions yet. Carr’s $25MM-per-year contract — an NFL record when signed in June 2017 — runs through the 2022 season. If the Raiders are committed to the soon-to-be 31-year-old passer, they will need to authorize a big raise.

QB Carr’s Future In Vegas Secure

February 13th, 2022 at 4:14pm CST by Ely Allen

Quarterback Derek Carr‘s future with the Raiders has been hot and cold for quite a while now, but, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the new leadership in Las Vegas is prepared to show their commitment to the eighth-year veteran with a contract extension.

Just before the start of February, the Raiders announced the hirings of two former New England employees. They were taking the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, to fill the role of head coach and the Patriots’ director of player personnel, Dave Ziegler, to fill the role of general manager. Both McDaniels and Ziegler had shown interest in trading for Carr during their time in New England.

Since the departures of former head coach Jon Gruden and former general manager Mike Mayock, Carr has been unsure of his future, claiming that his status could be impacted by the team’s hires. Carr’s top choice to replace Gruden was, in fact, McDaniels. The mutual support and respect is something that Carr has not had the luxury of enjoying throughout his eight years with the organization.

Joel Corry, who writes for CBS Sports on NFL contracts and salary caps, tweeted out some ideas of what an extension may look like for Carr. Back in 2017, Carr became the first player in the NFL to average $25MM per annum. Even while breaking that barrier, Carr claimed at the time that he was leaving money in the cap for deals with guard Gabe Jackson and outside linebacker Khalil Mack. Corry and Rapoport both posit that Carr has earned near-top-tier money that could make him the fourth quarterback to join the $40MM per year club, joining the likes Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Dak Prescott.

The Raiders have some time to figure out a deal with Carr, as he’s under contract through next season. They may attempt to make a show of good faith and offer an extension before the start of his contract year, or, with relations between leadership and the quarterback being much healthier, they may be able to take some time to figure out the best deal for both sides. Regardless, it is certainly an improved situation for everyone involved, and the Raiders will hope to reap the benefits.

Raiders Hire Dave Ziegler As GM, Josh McDaniels Expected As HC

January 30th, 2022 at 1:45pm CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders have announced the hiring of Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler as their new general manager. That means that the official hiring of Patriots OC Josh McDaniels as head coach is right around the corner, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Though McDaniels was a late entrant in this year’s coaching cycle — his only interview, which just took place yesterday, was with the Raiders — he became the frontrunner for the position as soon as he was connected to it. Indeed, he reportedly told the team that he would not accept its interview request unless he was going to be offered the job.

Now 45, McDaniels is best known for his lengthy and tremendously successful run as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, first from 2005-2008 and then again from 2012-2021. Of course, he had the privilege of working with QB Tom Brady for almost all of that time, but the work that he did with rookie passer Mac Jones this year also earned him plenty of positive attention. His ill-fated tenure as Broncos head coach from 2009-10 is well in the rearview mirror at this point, and his leaving the Colts at the altar in the 2018 hiring cycle did not seem to deter other clubs from wanting to bring his talents as an offensive guru aboard (though it is worth keeping that jilting in mind until he puts pen to paper).

Assuming he does finalize a deal with Las Vegas, he will inherit QB Derek Carr, who has one year remaining on his current contract. We recently heard that the Raiders’ HC hire would impact Carr’s future in the silver-and-black, but as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets, there is “mutual admiration” between Carr and McDaniels, so it could be that an extension for the soon-to-be 31-year-old passer is in the offing.

Obviously, Ziegler will have some say in that. In his previous post with the Patriots, he revamped the team’s scouting department and free agency strategy, as Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes, and he has received a considerable amount of credit for New England’s quick rise back to competitiveness after a disappointing 2020, the first year of the post-Brady era. His philosophy differed from predecessor Nick Caserio and will likely stray from recently-deposed Raiders GM Mike Mayock‘s approach.

Ziegler and McDaniels first worked together with the Broncos in 2010, and the former joined the Pats’ scouting department in 2013 and gradually rose up the ranks (2021 was his first as director of player personnel, a promotion he received after Caserio left Foxborough to become the Texans’ GM). Ziegler has been viewed as McDaniels’ GM-of-choice for awhile now, and it appears that the partnership will soon make its way west.

Raiders’ HC Hire To Impact Derek Carr’s Status; Latest On GM Mike Mayock

January 16th, 2022 at 8:15am CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders’ season is over after a gut-wrenching, mistake-filled, sometimes controversial seven-point loss to the Bengals in last night’s wildcard game. The contest ended with a Derek Carr interception on a fourth-and-goal throw that came up several yards short of the endzone, and it’s fair to wonder whether that was Carr’s last pass in silver-and-black.

Team owner Mark Davis was clear that he was not going to begin thinking about 2022 and beyond until the Raiders’ 2021 campaign had come to an end, but now that it has, he has some catching up to do in terms of his search for a permanent head coach (and, perhaps, for a new general manager). No club in need of a new HC or GM has actually hired one just yet, but interviews have gotten underway, and Davis plans for his search to be thorough and legitimate.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that Carr’s future in Las Vegas will be tied to the club’s head coach hire, and he classifies the Raiders’ QB decision as a “mutual” one. The implication is that the head coach and Carr — who stated this summer that he would rather quit football than play for another team — will both have a say in the matter.

Carr has certainly earned that right. While interim head coach Rich Bisaccia has received much-deserved credit for keeping the team together in the wake of the Jon Gruden fiasco, the Henry Ruggs tragedy, and other assorted on-field and off-field difficulties, Rapoport points out that Carr was also instrumental in rallying the troops through the turmoil and closing the regular season on a four-game winning streak. And while Carr’s name has frequently popped up in trade rumors due to his generally strong-but-not-elite play, he has finished in the top-10 in QB rating in two of the past three seasons.

On the other hand, his two turnovers in last night’s playoff loss — including a fumble and the game-ending interception that for some reason was thrown short of the goal line — was emblematic of a season in which he threw for a career-high 14 picks and fumbled a career-high 13 times. In his eight-year career, he has totaled double-digit fumbles five times and has twice led the league in that category. His 57-70 record also leaves much to be desired.

Carr, who will turn 31 in March, has one season remaining on the five-year, $125MM extension he signed in 2017. That $25MM AAV is now a middle-class figure for QBs, and in Rapoport’s estimation, Carr will be in line for a top-of-the-market extension. Rapoport reiterates that GM Mike Mayock‘s job is not necessarily safe, and whoever ends up as the Raiders’ general manager will obviously have a significant say in Carr’s contract and his status with the team as well. If Las Vegas and Carr agree to seek a trade, RapSheet names the Saints, Texans, and Colts as potential landing spots.

For what it’s worth, Carr said in last night’s postgame presser that Bisaccia is the “right guy” for the HC job, and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com suggests that the glowing way in which Raiders players talk about Bisaccia is different than the usual player-speak (Twitter link). Though Bisaccia may not be the favorite, he has given Davis something to seriously consider despite the early playoff exit.