Derek Carr‘s days with the Las Vegas Raiders are officially over after the veteran quarterback penned an emotional goodbye letter on Thursday morning.
His future remains up in the air, although it seems very likely that a team will trade for him and bring him in as their starting quarterback.
The Raiders cycled through quite a few head coaches, moved cities, and watched a flurry of players leave, all while Carr remained the starting quarterback.
However, it isn’t all Carr’s fault, especially when we examine the defense ever since 2014, when he became the QB.
Raiders defensive ranks since Derek Carr's first season in 2014
Rank
Points per Game 32nd
Yards per Play 30th
Sacks 32nd
Interceptions 32nd
Rush Touchdowns 31st
Pass Touchdowns 31st
4th Down Conv % 31st pic.twitter.com/0PMMgGtcuT— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 12, 2023
The defense failed to do its job, and that makes it tough on the quarterback and the offense to win games.
Since 2014, the Raiders ranked toward the bottom in just about every defensive category: points per game, yards per play, sacks, interceptions, rush and pass touchdowns, and 4th down conversions.
In 2022, Las Vegas finished 12th in total yards and points, while the defense finished 27th in total yards and 26th in points, so the issues again were mainly on the defense.
Still, Carr made a lot of mistakes and threw 14 interceptions, tied for a career-high with the 2021 season.
People can place blame on Carr all they want — yes, he regressed — but the defense needs to be better, and more changes should be coming in Las Vegas this offseason.
It will be interesting to see where Carr ends up, and he will be wearing a new jersey for the first time since 2014 when he entered the NFL.
