In August, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said that he was “tired of being disrespected.” The general response to Carr’s claim? If you want more respect, play better.
Well, through the first two games of the season, Carr has done exactly that. He has completed a career-high 73.5 percent of his passes for 523 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions, as the Raiders are 2-0 for the first time since 2017.
Looking back, has Carr actually been underrated throughout his career?
“Absolutely,” Raiders defensive lineman Maxx Crosby told JR SportBrief. “Derek has all the talent in the world. The guy has a great arm, he’s super accurate, he’s super intelligent and he loves to be a competitor on a daily basis. So you see a guy like him who’s been through a lot of rough things in his career – the guy broke his ankle, he’s had a bunch of different coaches – and he’s always found a way. For a guy like that to be slept on is kind of crazy to me. But the media can take things and try to put all the blame on the quarterback. You know how it is.”
Carr was having an MVP-caliber season in 2016, when he threw for a career-high 32 touchdowns. Then he broke his leg.
He went 17-30 in his next 47 starts but currently has the Raiders tied with the Kansas City Chiefs atop the AFC West.
“A guy like Derek Carr, he’s a leader,” Crosby said. “The guy’s playing great right now, and honestly, he had a really good season last year. I think he just has a different edge this year and he’s been on point. I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to grow. It’s super early in the season and I can’t wait to see where we’re at once the season keeps going along.”