Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has now put up three tremendous seasons to start his NFL career. He’s coming off a Pro Bowl performance in 2016 en route to leading his team to a 12-4 record.
Needless to say, the Raiders are going to do everything possible to sign Carr to a long-term extension.
“You can say that,” Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said back in January when asked if it was a priority to sign Carr and fellow Pro Bowler Khalil Mack to long-term deals. “The good thing is we do have time, but I’m not the type to wait until the last minute. Those two guys are not only great players but they are great men. They are true Raiders and I want to make sure we do the best that we can to make sure that they stay Raiders.”
In what has to be considered music to the ears of the Raiders’ brass, Carr himself seems hellbent on signing said extension and remaining with the team over the long term.
“They know how I feel,” Carr said Tuesday in an interview with Sirius XM Radio (h/t CSN Bay Area). “I’m a Raider. I’m a Raider for life. I don’t want to play anywhere else. When I got drafted, this is where I wanted to be anyway. I don’t want to go anywhere, ever. They told me they don’t want me to go anywhere, ever. Now it’s about two people who want to be together, and how do we make that happen? We’ll see.”
That seems like a pretty forceful declaration from Carr right there. A native of Northern California and product of Fresno State, it is not a surprise that Carr would want to remain home.
Carr, 25, is set to become a free agent following the 2017 season. This seems to suggest that the two sides are facing a deadline to work out an extension. Though, Oakland could very easily just decide to place the franchise tag on the quarterback next offseason should a new deal not be worked out.
The former second-round pick completed 64 percent of his passes for nearly 3,900 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions this past season. He’s likely looking at a long-term deal in the neighborhood of $25-plus million annually.