Derek Carr is coming off the best season of his career by every statistical measure. He had the Raiders in serious playoff contention despite having one of the league’s worst defenses. And yet, there are still some concerns that he isn’t the long-term answer for the Raiders.
In a recent article by ESPN and their 32 beat writers, they listed the biggest questions surrounding each team. For the Raiders, it was if Carr is entering a make-or-break season. Here is what senior writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about the veteran quarterback entering the 2021 season:
“Carr, in search of another extension, might be entering a make-or-break season, even if he is coming off career highs in passing yards (4,103), passer rating (101.4) and Total QBR (71.0). The guaranteed money in the five-year, $125 million extension he signed in 2017 is all paid out, and he is entering the penultimate year of the deal. And a reimagined offensive line, in the wake of center Rodney Hudson, right guard Gabe Jackson and right tackle Trent Brown all being traded away, offers a hint of apprehension.”
While it might be “fun” to chase the next Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen in the draft, having a steady, reliable player like Derek Carr isn’t a bad thing. And if he continues to improve under Jon Gruden, it doesn’t really make sense for the Raiders to move on as he is the least of their problems.
However, if Carr takes a step backward and struggles this year, that’s when the Raiders could look to move on. Still, that doesn’t seem likely as Carr has improved in each of the last three seasons under Gruden.
2021 isn’t really a make-or-break season for Carr as he is still one of the top-15 quarterbacks in the league. It’s more of a big season for the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock front office that has failed to surround Carr with an adequate amount of talent.