Amidst a slew of major moves in the AFC West this offseason — including two notable additions by the Raiders — one priority has remained the same. An extension for quarterback Derek Carr is something the team’s new front office has begun working towards, per Vic Tafur of the Athletic (subscription required).
As Tafur reports, talks have begun between the Raiders and Carr’s camp regarding a new deal. The just-turned 31-year-old has one year remaining on his current contract, which carries a cap hit of $19.8M. Earlier this month, it was reported that an extension was expected to be coming “sooner than later.“
Besides the level of Carr’s play in its own regard this season (including a career-high 4,804 passing yards and his first-ever playoff appearance), the main reason that was the case was Las Vegas’ acquisition of Davante Adams. The two played together at Fresno State, and the teams’ willingness to trade for Adams signaled they were prepared to make a commitment to Carr as well. New head coach Josh McDaniels said, “Derek’s fit on the team, as a player, is obviously what we’re looking for and what we’re trying to build around.”
As for a new contract, McDaniels added, “Ultimately you try and do what’s best for the team… when we get into those conversations with Derek, Derek’s going to have to make decisions about what’s best for him… There will be a sweet spot in there hopefully for everybody, and we’ll be excited to go forward like that.”
While that comment was quickly met with a response from Tim Younger, Carr’s agent (on Twitter), Tafur notes that “talks have not grown adversarial” between the two camps. That will be a welcome sign for the Raiders, as they try to secure the three-time Pro Bowler for the foreseeable future.
More must-reads: