The Derek Carr saga in Las Vegas is over. It may have taken three failed seasons, countless missed opportunities, and a $121.5-million contract, but it’s over. All that remains are the memories of Carr’s time here, and they’re not great. Here are five of the worst ones for your consideration. If nothing else, these moments will make you thankful he is no longer here.
#5 Signing him to a $125.5-million contract extension
While this incident didn’t occur on the field, it put a bad taste in fans’ mouths. The move was tone-deaf and a perfect example of mismanagement. Instead of making Carr work for his money and proving himself in the 2022 season, they just dropped $125.5 million in his lap.
Unfortunately, this only turned out to be good enough for a 6-10 record and Carr getting benched for the season’s final two games. More on that fiasco later, but the Raiders really got the wrong end of the deal here. They threw all their money behind a guy they benched before the end of the season.
The worst part is that Carr didn’t have the numbers to deserve this. Sure, he helped limp his team into the playoffs in 2021 but played no special role. Instead, he completed 428 of 626 for 4804 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He almost served more as a hindrance than anything else, averaging 2.2 interceptions per game.
#4 His lack of action in the Las Vegas Raiders’ 17-15 loss to the Commanders in 2021
There have been a lot of bad moments in Derek Carr’s career, but this is up there with the worst. The team came into the game 6-6 and had a chance to change things. Maybe even build up some needed momentum to make a late-season push. Unfortunately, Carr couldn’t reach the endzone, putting most of the game on the running backs. That resulted in an embarrassing 17-15 loss that only proved Carr haters right.
Carr went 28 of 38, 249 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. His only contribution came when he helped move the ball down the field so Daniel Carlson could hit a field goal. Joshua Jacobs and the rest of the offense worked tirelessly to keep the Raiders in this game, while Carr did nothing.
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#3 Las Vegas gets blown out by the Atlanta Falcons 43-6 in 2020
Derek Carr needed to come through for the Las Vegas Raiders during this game. Not only was that evident by their 6-5 record but also by the vulnerability of their opponents. The Falcons came into the weekend at 4-7, which gave Vegas fans a lot of hope.
In the end, however, Carr just couldn’t put a drive together. He finished the afternoon going 22 of 34 for 215 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Carr was utterly useless and didn’t give his team a chance to get back into the game. They ultimately lost 43-6 in one of their most embarrassing blowouts that year.
Carr also got sacked five times and gave up a few of the four fumbles. This just seems to be one of the perfect examples that Carr was junk at this point in his career.
#2 The game against the Steelers that led to Derek Carr getting benched by the Raiders in 2022
While many Las Vegas Raiders fans were thrilled about Derek Carr finally getting benched, it came at a cost for Josh McDaniels. The moment served as an admission that his original plan wouldn’t work. The benching also showcased just how far Carr has fallen from grace.
The game that finally forced the move was a bizarre series of events. Carr went 16 of 30 for 174 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. The final score was 13-10 but could have been much uglier if the Steeler’s offense had gotten going. This also happened to be one of Las Vegas’ last chances to get into the playoffs, which made everything worse.
#1 The 26-19 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 Wild Card game
If there is one moment that the Las Vegas Raiders needed Derek Carr to be the guy, it was the 2021 Wildcard game against the Bengals. Of course, this isn’t to say they should have gone all the way, but Carr could have at least helped them through the first round. Instead, he did everything possible to make sure the season came to an end.
While everyone probably remembers the controversial call that helped the Bengals win, they forget Carr’s performance. He only managed 29 of 54 completions for 310 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He also suffered five sacks and lost a fumble.
Somehow it would still take another year before Josh McDaniels and company realized how bad Carr was.
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