Derek Carr is here to stay.
The Oakland Raiders and the two-time Pro Bowler have finalized a five-year, $125 million extension with $70 million in guarantees and $40 million signing bonus, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. It’s currently the biggest contract in the NFL.
#Raiders $125M extension for QB Derek Carr includes $40M fully guaranteed and more than $70M in total guarantees. Under contract thru ‘22
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 22, 2017
Now it’s done ?! From the jump I’ve wanted to be a Raider 4 life. One step closer to that! Blessed!!! Business done! Let’s just play now!!!
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) June 22, 2017
The move doesn’t come as a surprise, as both the Raiders and Carr have expressed a mutual desire to remain together. Carr, who was a 2016 MVP candidate before breaking his fibula in Week 16, was finishing his rookie contract and was due less than $1 million in base salary for next season. The move juts him ahead of Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck, as the league’s highest-paid player.
The Raiders had consistently struggled to find a franchise quarterback up until Carr. From 2002 up until Carr’s draft year in 2014, Oakland had started 17 different quarterbacks. Since then, Carr has thrown for 11,194 yards, 81 touchdowns and 31 interceptions and has excelled as a fan favorite.
With the Raiders moving to Vegas in 2019, and their lack of success in finding a consistent quarterback, there was no chance Oakland wasn’t going to lock in with Carr, who certainly deserved the deal. Since his signing, the Raiders have gone from irrelevant to possible Super Bowl contenders in three years, turning a 3-13 2014 record into a 12-4 2016.
Even after his injury, which undoubtedly resulted in the Raiders’ early playoff exit to Houston, Oakland fans have remained excited and optimistic about the future ahead. With Carr and the new acquisition of Marshawn Lynch, the Raiders fan base has more than enough reason to believe 2017 will be even more successful than last year.
