Derek Carr isn’t going anywhere. That’s something the Las Vegas Raiders effectively promised was the case when Josh McDaniels took the reins as head coach for 2022 and beyond, combined with the addition of Dave Ziegler joining him as general manager of the organization — the two former New England Patriots loving what they see in Carr. To that point, they’ve made good on their word, agreeing to terms with Carr on a three-year contract extension worth $121.5 million, according to NFL Media and confirmed by CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson.
The new deal secures Carr through the 2025 season. Given the slew of QB moves this offseason alone, Carr now continues his stance as the longest-tenured quarterback in the AFC, and his new deal will, in totality, combine with his current one to offer a max value of $141.3 million over the next four seasons — $100 million of it due over the next three years.
The news comes not long after the Raiders made the blockbuster move to acquire All-Pro wideout Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers via trade, then awarding him a massive new deal of his own that ties him to Carr for the foreseeable future. With two of the most important positions in football now locked in, the Raiders are ready to build on the late-season success they found in 2021, but this time with high-profile names leading the charge alongside Carr.
The three-time Pro Bowler had previously ingratiated himself with Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, former head coach and former general manager, respectively, who both continuously opted against moving on from Carr to this point. That did nothing to quell speculation that his future would be tied to whomever replaced Gruden and Mayock, however, but a QB prospect pool that isn’t as glitzy as some other drafts, combined with the overall play of Carr, support this being a good decision for Las Vegas.
Carr had his struggles on the field last season, but he finished with a career-high 4,804 passing yards and a rating of 94.0, despite not having a definitive complement in the passing attack for Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. Dropping Adams into the equation generates excitement for what Carr might be able to do in 2022, and his leadership in the locker room only adds value to the deal.
In the face of a list of controversies involving the Raiders in 2021, Carr joined former special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia in stepping front and center to help refocus the club en route to a run to the playoffs, where it very narrowly ended the Cincinnati Bengals’ run to Super Bowl LVI on Super Wild Card Weekend — one week after a harrowing overtime victory in a win-and-get-in fight against the Los Angeles Chargers.
This is what McDaniels is hoping to build upon, and he only sees Carr as the QB to help him do it. The deal also increases the chances Carr might one day retire as a Raider, something he undoubtedly hopes to see happen, the Raiders being the only organization he’s played for since getting the nod as their second-round pick in 2014.
