Quarterback: Derek Carr
While much of Raider Nation has lost faith in quarterbackDerek Carr, he has been a steady presence as the leader of the team after going through a carousel of quarterbacks during the nine years prior.
When you compare Carr to guys likeKerry Collins,Aaron Brooks,Andrew Walter, andTerrelle Pryor, it’s easy to see why the team has stuck with him despite only having one winning season.
In Carr’s rookie year he did not produce flashy numbers, but it was clear he was an actual NFL caliber quarterback, which was a breath of fresh air for Raiders fans.
Not only did his numbers improve in his second season, but the team also seemed to be on the way up, going 7-9 inJack Del Rio‘s first year as head coach following a lackluster three-win year before firingDennis Allen.
In 2016, Derek Carr broke out with an MVP level season, leading the Raiders to a 12-4 record and their first playoff bid in over a decade. He had seven 4th quarter comebacks/game-winning drives and seemed to only play better in crunch time.
Unfortunately, he was hurt in the second to last game of the season and so the Raiders would enter the playoffs withConnor Cookas the starting quarterback. Their hopes at a Super Bowl run were crushed.
Since then, Carr has not been the same, but that lone season has given fans hope that he can regain the fire and confidence he once played with, and once again be a top-10 quarterback.
Regardless of your opinion on Derek Carr, he holds the franchise record in passing yards, is third in passing touchdowns, first in interception percentage, and first in completion percentage (among multi-year starters).
Carr may or may not be the Raiders quarterback of the future, but he was definitely the best quarterback this decade, and did give younger Raiders fans the only winning season they have been old enough to actually remember.
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