Oakland Raiders: Six things we’ve learned through six weeks of play

Derek Carr Isn’t A Franchise Quarterback

Over his first three seasons in the league, quarterback Derek Carr showed marked improvement from year to year. He had the look of a guy who could make all the throws, was able to lead his team back from the brink, and win some ball games.

Carr looked like the kind of franchise-altering quarterback who would be a cornerstone piece of this offense for years. And the Raiders rewarded Carr’s efforts accordingly, by giving him a five-year, $125 million dollar contact extension – at the time, a record.

The return on that investment to this point has been – minimal.

Carr was erratic last year, posting a career low QB rating of 86.4, took a step back in completion percentage, hitting on just 62.7 of his passes, regressed in passing yards (3.496), and touchdowns (22). About the only area that saw an increase was his interception total, which ballooned to 13.

And Carr seems to be picking up right where he left off last season. Oh, his completion percentage is up to (at the moment), a career best 71.7 percent, but through six games, he’s thrown just seven touchdowns, while tossing eight picks – several of those which cost the team a game.

Carr has looked indecisive, like he’s gotten a case of the yips, and is also trying to force too many things that just aren’t there. And it’s hurting this team. It’s not the kind of performance you’d expect of your franchise quarterback. To say the least.

Whether it’s his history with injuries, him still trying to get familiar with, and comfortable in, Gruden’s system, much more is being asked of Carr than he’s ever had on his plate before. And to this point, he hasn’t embraced it, let alone handled it all that well.

Although something can always click, and he starts to grow and excel in Gruden’s system, at the moment, it’s hard to say that Carr looks anything remotely resembling a franchise quarterback.