Derek Carr breaks silence on social media, says he looks forward to new team and city
Jan 12, 2023, 8:43 AM
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 18: Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates on the field after defeating the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
With two weeks remaining in the 2022 season, the Las Vegas Raiders made the surprising decision to bench long-time starter Derek Carr.
For weeks, Carr was silent as Jarrett Stidham took over and the Raiders finished 0-2.
Now, the former starter has broken his silence.
Derek Carr took to social media to say it broke his heart that he didn’t get the opportunity to say goodbye to Raider Nation in person.
The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Derek Carr in 2014, starting 142 games for the Silver and Black. Over his nine years as the team’s starter, Carr threw for a franchise-leading 35,222 passing yards and finished with 62-78 record. He technically made the playoffs twice, but the first appearance he did not play because he was injured by the time the postseason rolled around.
“It’s especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say that I gave everything I had, every single day, in season, and in the off season. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but I hope that I was able to leave you with more than a few great memories as Raiders fans,” Carr said in his post.
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 12, 2023
Carr goes on to thank the cities of Oakland and Las Vegas, his teammates, all his coaches and the Raider Nation. Then, he acknowledged his infamous quote about retiring if he’s not a Raider.
“I once said that if I’m not a Raider I would rather be at home and I meant that, but I never envisioned it ending this way. That fire burning inside of me to win a championship still rages. A fire no man can extinguish; only God. So I look forward to a new city and a new team who, no matter the circumstance, will get everything I have. Winning a championship is what I’ve always wanted and what I will continue to work towards.”
The Las Vegas Raiders extended Derek Carr last spring to a three-year, $121.5 million extension, but have not yet made any moves on the future of their quarterback.
Coach Josh McDaniels said in his post-season press conference that there will be conversations with Carr.
“Again, we’ve had a great relationship. He’s done a lot of great things and anything that’s said otherwise is incorrect,” McDaniels said. “So, we’ll look forward to that, and like I said, there will be some time between now and then.”
The coach went on to say that now that they don’t have an opponent to plan for, they’ll take time to analyze the season as they prepare to move forward.
“That position obviously is paramount, but it would be no different at any other position,” McDaniels said. “But it’ll start with that, that’s the process that we’re getting ready to embark on. We have not done that yet. We will. And it’ll take us a little time because it needs to be thorough, and it deserves time. That’s what it deserves. There’s a lot that will go into that before we make any final proclamations or decisions. There’s a lot of people that are going to need to do some evaluating here, watch a lot of tape, have a lot of discussions that are hopefully very fruitful, and then when we’re ready to go we’ll move on.”
