Let the rumor mill tell it, the Oakland Raiders might have a contract problem on their hands with quarterback Derek Carr.
Carr goes into 2017 on the last leg of his rookie deal and the Raiders don’t have the luxury of a fifth-year option because he wasn’t a first-round pick.
Though he’s said he never wants to leave the team, Michael Silver of NFL.com suggested Carr is getting impatient with the process:
However, two sources said Carr, given his previously stated desire to be a “Raider for life,” has grown frustrated with the slow pace of discussions and is extremely eager to get the deal done before the start of training camp.
Those who know Carr’s character understand this doesn’t sound very much like him. His getting slapped with a franchise tag that will act like a fifth-year option doesn’t sound so terrible.
But it could be as the Raiders get ready to move to Las Vegas as early as 2018. Silver elaborated:
Given that there is no state tax in Nevada — as opposed to a relatively high state tax rate in California — Carr hopes to push a significant portion of the guaranteed money he’d receive into the latter portion of the contract.
Carr isn’t being selfish so much as he’s looking out for what’s best for him via a long-term lens. Like it or not, the Raiders will need to reset the quarterback market with his deal, which is what happens when he helps the team look like contenders while completing 63.8 percent of his passes with almost 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns against all of six interceptions.
Expect the extension talks to pick up soon.
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