The Oakland Raiders and quarterback Derek Carr will have to come to terms on an extension before training camp. That’s the stance of the Pro Bowler. Should it not happen, the former second-round pick will either enter free agency next March or find himself franchise tagged.
It was just a couple short months ago that the Raiders and Carr seemed headed in the direction of a new contract. General manager Reggie McKenzie indicated that re-signing Carr as well as reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack was the team’s top off-season priority (more on that here).
This has since given way to one report indicating that Carr himself is frustrated with the pace of extension negotiations.
There have been no significant contract discussions between Raiders & Derek Carr lately, and the QB is frustrated: https://t.co/xdZMgKrjdP
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) May 17, 2017
Now, responding to said report, McKenzie himself is shooting down the idea that things are not going swimmingly between the two sides.
“I see Derek every day,” McKenzie said Thursday on 95.7 The Game in the Bay Area, via the San Jose Mercury News. “We have a great relationship, communicate very well. Now, that’s not going to be an issue at all.”
At this point, this seems to be nothing more than a negotiating tactic by both the Raiders and Carr’s representatives. There’s no real indication that things are so bad the two sides won’t be able to come to terms on a new deal.
The issue here is that Carr will reset the quarterback market after Andrew Luck signed a five-year, $122.9 million extension with Indianapolis last June.
In fact, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is purposely waiting for the Carr situation to play out before he inks a new extension with his team (more on that here).
Whenever a quarterback is tasked with resetting the market at that position, it becomes a bit more convoluted. We’re talking guaranteed money and contract length. From the perspective of the player, any new deal impacts those who will be in line for extensions down the road. This creates a responsibility to others moving forward.
Carr is coming off a 2016 campaign that saw him lead the Raiders to a 12-4 record and their first playoff appearance since the 2002 season. In three years as the team’s starter, he’s thrown 81 touchdowns compared to 31 interceptions. Needless to say, Carr will get paid here soon.