There is an increasing number of NFL players who are opting out of the 2020 NFL season due to coronavirus pandemic concerns, but Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback Derek Carr won’t be one of them. And he has an interesting reason for it.
According to Carr, who had a chat with reporters on Tuesday, he wants to play this season in order to prove the people who doubted him wrong as he’s “tired of being disrespected.”
“Did I think about opting out? I did not,” said Carr. “I have a lot to prove to myself. I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’m tired of being disrespected. There was no question I was going to play this year.”
While it’s admirable that Carr wants to prove himself this year, the reality is that the fair share of criticism aimed towards him is legit. Since becoming the Raiders’ starter in 2014, he only led the team to one winning season. Also, his 55 losses during that time span are second-worst for any starting QB in their first six seasons under center.
To be fair, there are some indications that Derek Carr might turn around his career. He put up respectable numbers in 2019, posting his completing 70.4 percent of his passes for career-high 4,054 yards. He also added 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Still, Carr will have to do even better this year if he wants to keep his job. Raiders brought in Marcus Mariota in the offseason as a competition for the 29-year-old QB, and head coach Jon Gruden won’t be afraid to make a switch at the position if things don’t start well for his team.
