Derek Carr to Sail with the Autumn Wind

Following the minicamp practice this past Tuesday, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr made sure of one thing. That one thing: he does not plan on leaving the franchise in the short term.

Now as he prepares to enter his seventh season as the starting quarterback for the silver and black, Carr, who was drafted by his favorite team when they were in Oakland, is remaining loyal through speculation and possible trade rumors.

But he has made it clear, at least to USA Today Sports writer Emily Leiker, that he wants to stay with the Raiders.

“I still want more, there’s still more, and I want to do it here,” Carr said. “I don’t want to do it anywhere else. I’ve said that over and over again, I’d probably quit football if I had to play for someone else.”

Loyal to the Silver and Black

That loyalty to an organization is something that often does not get talked about in NFL headlines. The 36th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Carr has often iterated that has a large affinity for the silver and black and their fans.

“I am a Raider for my entire life,” he said. “I’m going to root for one team for the rest of my life. It’s the Raiders. I just feel that so strong in my heart.”

He also doesn’t feel like he needs a perfect situation just to win a championship. He feels like the Raiders are his home team, and he’ll be content with whatever scenario he is thrust into.

The team, however, has seen some struggles since they drafted the former Fresno State Bulldog. Overall, the Raiders have only recorded one winning season under Carr, when they finished with a 12-4 tally for wins and losses during the 2016 campaign. Last season, they resurfaced back to the .500 mark with an 8-8 final record.

Steadfast Through Trade Rumors

Carr has also been the target of trade rumors comparable to that of other big-name quarterbacks such as Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Seattle’s Russell Wilson over the course of this past offseason, after rounding out the 2020 campaign with personal bests of 4103 passing yards and a passer rating of 101.4.

Not only that, but he holds the franchise’s records for both passing yards and touchdown passes. And the organization seems like they are not in any desire to let go of Carr. Even if the Raiders are an open possibility to land a quarterback like Rodgers.

Carr’s loyalty to the team also serves as his motivation.

“For me, it’s more about loyalty, it’s more about being the same guy every single day,” he said. “My goal when I got here was to give everything I have to this organization.”

Looking Forward to the Season

In his first time addressing the media since last season, he has focused on maintaining not only loyalty to the team but also developing trust with his teammates. While the contract situation is also something to monitor, he may not be around much longer in Las Vegas, and that could end up frustrating him.

But Carr is not much of a complainer when it comes to situations.
“I’m that old-school mentality — I’m playing for one team and that’s it,” he said. “Whether we’ve won enough or not, I literally give every bit of energy and effort that I can to this organization and when I sign a contract, I completely, in my mind, have to fulfill that. I committed to that. I put my name on paper.”

One of the most important pieces to the Raiders organization is also one of their most loyal. If Derek Carr can stay a Raider for his entire NFL career, he knows that he will have accomplished something that few NFL players can say.