NFL: Derek Carr Remains Adamant That He Is Oakland's Long-Term QB
Despite widespread speculation, the Oakland Raiders didn't take any signal-callers in 2019 NFL Draft -- which Carr says proves his point.
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Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr asserted Tuesday that he intends to be the club's franchise signal-caller moving forward and moved to squash uncertainty regarding his long-term future with the team. Leading up to the 2019 NFL Draft, there was widespread speculation that coach Jon Gruden, who returned last season for his second stint leading the franchise, wasn't sold on Carr as a franchise cornerstone and that the Raiders might use a high draft pick on his potential successor. Instead, the Raiders failed to draft any quarterbacks, and Carr contends this only confirms what he knew all along – that he isn't going anywhere.
"This is my team and it will be for the next however long I want to play," Carr told the media Tuesday at the first day of organized team activities.
Carr appeared to take a light-hearted but I-told-you-so tone when assessing the narrative that engulfed his off-season. Many reports suggested the Raiders were intent on selecting a quarterback high in the draft, either Kyler Murray, who was taken first overall by Arizona, or perhaps Missouri product Drew Lock. Carr drew headlines when he challenged some of his media critics on social media.
"The owner, the GM, the head coach and the quarterback, I don't know about other places, but here, we're all on the same page," he said. "I talk to all three of those guys all the time. They tell me good, bad and ugly. We are always on the same page because that's what our team needs. That's what the good organizations do.
"And so, from the beginning, I'll say it this way, man, I met with all of them, talked with all of them. When I watched the draft there was like negative-47 percent chance they were going to draft somebody in my mind. Hopefully those guys didn't have their hopes up. But it wasn't going to happen. They pretty much said that literally every time it even came up, if it even came up. We're not just planning for this year. I'm honestly going to be here a long time. And so I hope that's OK with you guys, but you got to get used to me."
Carr, 28, has four years left on a contract extension signed in 2017 that pays him just shy of $20 million per season. Last year, he set career highs in yardage (4,049) and completion percentage (68.9), but also threw 10 interceptions and a career-low 19 touchdowns.
The speculation regarding his future stemmed largely from instances in which Gruden appeared clearly frustrated during games with the play of his quarterback, whose mental and physical toughness also was questioned at times last season.
The Raiders are currently -2.5-point favorites for their Sept. 9 season opener at home against the Denver Broncos. They also have sportsbook odds of 100/1 to win the Super Bowl.