The Oakland Raiders waited a long time for a franchise quarterback, and it looks like they finally found one. The Raiders selected Derek Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, and he’s been the team’s starting quarterback ever since. Today, the Raiders signed Carr to a contract extension.
Oakland Raiders Extend Derek Carr’s Contract
In three years with the team, Derek Carr has thrown for 11,194 yards, 81 touchdowns, and only 31 interceptions. With each year, the Fresno State alum has improved on the field, and become more of a leader off of it. The Raiders won four games his rookie year, seven games his second, and 12 in his third. To say that Derek Carr is a huge part of the Raider revival is an understatement.
The #Raiders and QB Derek Carr have finalized a 5-year monster extension worth $125M, sources say. Highest paid player in history ??
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 22, 2017
How important is Derek Carr to the Raiders? When he went down with a broken fibula, the team fell apart. The offense scored 20 points in their next two games after averaging 27 points per game before. Even the defense fell apart, with defensive player of the year Khalil Mack failing to register a single sack.
The Contract
Carr is a franchise quarterback, and as such, he was paid handsomely. He is now the highest played player in the NFL, as he signed a five-year, $125 million dollar contract. Carr considered taking a pay-cut to help the team, but then he realized he was a human being.
The Future
Speaking of Khalil Mack, the future of the Oakland Raiders is an expensive one. After making Derek Carr the highest paid player in the NFL, they also have to pay Khalil Mack, who will likely be the highest paid non-quarterback. General manager Reggie McKenzie will likely give Mack a huge, front-loaded contract, and the Raiders might struggle to attract new pieces.
