Getty Image / Sean Gardner
The Las Vegas Raiders ended up moving on from Derek Carr this offseason and are replacing him with Jimmy Garoppolo.
Although it’s not really an upgrade, the franchise believes it was the best decision to make moving forward.
However, it appears Carr is still bitter about how everything played out in Las Vegas. In a recent interview, the now New Orleans Saints quarterback voiced his frustrations.
Carr opens up about it during a discussion with The Fresno Bee.
“I was, for lack of a better term, I was very upset; I was mad. You spend nine years in a place, you have all the records and you can play at a high level and for something to get in the way, whether it was whatever reason, money related or whatever, injury related, I would have said I don’t even want the money, just to play two more times in front of our fans. I didn’t get that opportunity. So it definitely lit a fire inside me to keep going.”
From the sounds of it, the Saints will have a fiery Derek Carr under center while the Raiders hope Jimmy Garoppolo is just healthy.
And it makes sense why Carr is upset. The guy was hoping to end his career in Las Vegas. But the franchise had different plans and ruled him as inactive for the final two games of the season.
Carr has seen coaches come and go in Las Vegas. But this time around, it was him who received the axe. Although he is upset, the veteran quarterback also understands why the move was made, per The Fresno Bee.
“If you win more games and you keep being productive, you stay there forever. But we didn’t win enough games and that’s the kind of stuff that happens with all the turnover of coaches; with all the different things. Eventually, the last guy in the room is usually going to be out at some point. And that’s really what happened. “I’ve survived about 20 coaches and that’s how it goes and it is what it is.”
With all of that said, Derek Carr is just happy to be with an organization that wants him. The Saints made a big improvement in the quarterback department by signing Carr.
Now, the team must prove themselves in a wide open NFC South division. Here’s what the veteran quarterback had to say about signing with New Orleans. He also hopes the best for the Raiders too.
“But I’m happy to be somewhere where we’re in a stable organization that’s been proven for years and I hope that the Raiders find something good there too, where they can keep that stability for the next guys because I know how important it is and I care about my old teammates. But for the time being, I’m just excited to be a part of the Saints organization because they’ve won at a high level for a long time.”
This will be an interesting season for Derek Carr. He has a chance to get bounce back in a big way.
If he can do that, then perhaps the Raiders may feel they made a mistake. Especially if Garoppolo’s injury proves to be a problem for Las Vegas.