Derek Carr

Derek Dallas Carr (born March 28, 1991) is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Raiders in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State, as did his older brother, former NFL quarterback David Carr.

Early years
Carr was born in Bakersfield, California, the youngest of three children to Rodger and Sheryl Carr. He and his family lived in Bakersfield before relocating to Sugar Land, Texas, in 2002 when his oldest brother, David Carr, became the first overall draft pick of the then-expansion Houston Texans. Carr and his family moved back to Bakersfield for his senior year, and he attended Bakersfield Christian High School.

Carr's high school football career began at Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas. After playing on the freshman team his first year, he became a backup quarterback on the varsity team as a sophomore. He did not prepare himself to become the starting quarterback, but a preseason injury to another quarterback thrust him into the role.

Carr made gradual progress as a starter for the Clements High School Rangers. He passed for 1,246 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, and 1,622 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. While a junior, Carr led his team to an undefeated 13–0 season (playoffs included) before losing in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Class 5A Division 2 State playoffs in Region 3 to the (also undefeated) Katy High School Tigers, the eventual champions. Also during his junior year, Carr was heavily recruited. His college choices included Fresno State, SMU, Boise State, the University of Southern California, UCLA, and Utah. Of these schools, only Fresno State, SMU, and Utah made a scholarship offer towards Carr. Ultimately, he verbally committed to Fresno State on May 25, 2008, at the end of his junior year. Carr was the program's first recruit of the 2009 class.

In 2008, Bakersfield Christian High School athletic director and former NFL player Doug Barnett confirmed that Carr would transfer to BCHS, amid rumors that he would have gone to nearby Stockdale High School or Bakersfield High School, two schools with historically good football programs.

As a senior, Carr led the Eagles football team to a 12–1 record and the California Interscholastic Federation Central Section Division V championship; the only blemish came at home against Oaks Christian High School, a national football powerhouse, during the team's season opener. On October 29, 2008, Carr was selected by ESPN RISE as the National Football Player of the Week after passing for 441 yards and three touchdowns in a game against Tehachapi High School five days earlier. Carr would eventually set a Central Section record by throwing 544 yards in a win against Arvin High School on November 7, 2008. Carr was also selected by The Bakersfield Californian as the 2008 All-Area Football Player of the Year. Carr also set a new school record when he passed for six touchdowns and ran for two in a blowout win against small school Fowler High at home. After his high school football career finished, Carr was named the National Player of the Year by the National Private Schools Athletic Association in 2009.

College career
Carr enrolled as an early-entry freshman for the spring semester at Fresno State in 2009 so he could participate in spring football with the Bulldogs. Then–Fresno State head coach Pat Hill stated that Carr, a true freshman, was "in the mix" for the starting quarterback position as late as mid-July. However, days before the 2009 season began in September, Hill announced junior Ryan Colburn would start over Carr.

After redshirting his 2010 season, Carr took over the starting quarterback position for Fresno State in the fall of 2011. During his three years as a starter, he threw for 12,843 passing yards and 113 touchdowns.

In the 2011 season, Carr passed for 3,544 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He was among the passing leaders of the Western Athletic Conference in numerous categories. In the 2012 season, he passed for 4,104 yards, 37 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He won the MWC Offensive Player of the Year for the 2012 season. Like the previous season, his passing totals were among the Mountain West Conference leaders in numerous categories.

Carr received the 2013 CFPA Elite QB Award for his performance over three seasons at Fresno State. He joined fellow Bakersfield native Phillip Thomas as the school's second CFPA winner.

In the 2013 season, Carr led the FBS with 5,083 yards and 50 touchdowns. He was among the leaders in many passing categories in the conference. He won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, which is awarded annually by the Touchdown Club of Columbus to the nation's top collegiate passer. He finished in 8th place in the Heisman Trophy voting.

While at Fresno State, he wore number 4 as a homage to his favorite NFL player, Brett Favre. Carr's number was retired by Fresno State during halftime of a game against Incarnate Word in 2017. On July 14th, 2019, Carr received a mural at his former college, Fresno State University.

2014 season: Rookie year
Carr was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft with the 36th overall pick. He was the fourth quarterback to be selected that year. On May 16, he was assigned his requested number of 4. On May 21, he was signed to a four-year, $5.37 million contract with a $2.2 million signing bonus.

On August 28, Carr impressed the coaches and fans in the Raiders' fourth and final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, after coming into the game as the backup to Matt Schaub and taking the Raiders down the field for three touchdowns in the first quarter, then throwing another touchdown on their next possession of the second quarter, before being relieved. For his short playing time in the game, he went 11-of-13 for 143 yards and 3 touchdowns for a nearly perfect quarterback rating.

On September 1, Raiders head coach Dennis Allen announced that Carr would start over Schaub in the team's opener against the New York Jets, and mentioned that the decision was not week-to-week; Carr would be the Raiders starting quarterback moving forward. Carr therefore became the first rookie quarterback in Raiders history to start a season opener, and was also the only rookie quarterback from the 2014 draft class to start in Week 1.

Carr made his first career regular-season start against the Jets on September 7. During his professional debut, he passed for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders were unsuccessful during his debut and lost by a score of 19–14. In Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium, Carr left the game due to a high ankle sprain and MCL sprain. He was relieved by Matt McGloin, but the Raiders still couldn't find their momentum, losing to the Dolphins, 38–14.

On October 12, in his fifth start of his career versus the division-rival San Diego Chargers, Carr made history by setting a new Raiders franchise record for the most passing touchdowns in a single regular-season game by a rookie with four. This surpassed the previous record of three passing touchdowns, which was set by McGloin during his rookie season in 2013 versus the Houston Texans. Additionally, Carr set single-game personal records for passing yards by throwing for 282 yards, and for total passer rating which amounted to 107.7. Although Carr had a career day, the Raiders ultimately were defeated by the San Diego Chargers by the final score of 31–28.

On November 20, Carr won his first NFL game by leading the previously winless Raiders to a 24–20 upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. The Raiders trailed the Chiefs, 20–17, early in the fourth quarter, but Carr led them on an 80-yard drive that lasted just over 7 minutes. The fourth-quarter comeback ended with Carr throwing a game-winning touchdown pass that put them up, 24–20, with just under 1:40 to play. The Raiders would go on to get their first victory of the season. On December 7, Carr led the Raiders to a 24–13 victory over the visiting San Francisco 49ers. Carr posted a 140.2 rating, the highest for a Raiders quarterback since Rich Gannon in 2001.

Carr finished his rookie season with 3,270 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He became the first Raiders quarterback to start all 16 games since Rich Gannon in 2002.

2015 season
On September 13, during the Raiders' season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Carr exited the game early with an injury to his throwing hand. The MRI was negative and Carr returned to start in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. The Raiders won 37–33 to get their first win of the season. Carr had a career day against the Ravens as he threw over 350 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown to wide receiver Seth Roberts with 26 seconds remaining. Carr continued his successful play into Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns. He threw for 314 yards as he helped lead the Raiders to a 27–20 win. Carr had another good performance in Week 7 on the road against the San Diego Chargers as he threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, putting up a 137.7 passer rating. Carr threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns and a 130.9 passer rating in a win against the New York Jets the next week.

On January 20, it was announced that he would be replacing Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers for the 2016 Pro Bowl. He became the first Raiders quarterback to be named to the Pro Bowl since Rich Gannon in 2002. After two seasons, Carr had 53 career touchdown passes, the second most by a quarterback in his first two seasons, behind Dan Marino's 68. Carr was ranked 100th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

2016 season
Carr started the 2016 season off strong with 319 passing yards, a touchdown, and a late go-ahead two-point conversion in a 35–34 victory over the New Orleans Saints. During Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carr finished with 513 passing yards, a franchise record, and four touchdowns as the Raiders won 30–24 in overtime. He earned his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor for his performance against the Buccaneers. In a Week 9 game against the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, Carr led the Raiders to a 30–20 victory on Sunday Night Football to take sole possession of first place in the AFC West. During Week 11 against the Houston Texans at Estadio Azteca, Carr completed 21 of 31 pass attempts for 295 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders won 27–20. He surpassed 10,000 career passing yards and helped the Raiders take back sole possession of the division lead from the Kansas City Chiefs. The following week versus the Carolina Panthers, Carr dislocated his pinkie on his throwing hand and had to miss a series. He returned the next drive with a glove on his hand and finished the game, which resulted in a 35–32 victory. The win brought the Raiders to a 9–2 record and clinched their first winning season since 2002. On December 18, with a 19–16 win over the San Diego Chargers, Carr led the Raiders to clinch their first playoff berth since 2002. Carr was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl on December 20, 2016, but an injury sustained in Week 16 prevented him from participating.

On Christmas Eve, in Week 16, Carr left the Raiders' eventual 33–25 win against the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter with a leg injury. Head coach Jack Del Rio announced after the game that Carr suffered a broken fibula from a sack by linebacker Trent Cole and that he would be out "indefinitely." The expected recovery time was six to eight weeks. Matt McGloin then started the team's final game of the regular season, but he suffered a shoulder injury and was replaced by Connor Cook, the third-string quarterback when the season began. This made Cook the starter for the first round of the playoffs. There was a small chance that Carr could return if the Raiders were able to get to Super Bowl LI, but the Raiders lost to the Houston Texans by a score of 27–14, in the Wild Card Round, ending their season. In 15 starts in the 2016 season, Carr recorded 3,937 passing yards on a career-high 357 completions and a career-low 560 attempts and 28 touchdowns. He was ranked 11th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

2017 season
On June 22, 2017, Carr signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension with $40 million fully guaranteed, $70 million in total guarantees and a $12.5 million signing bonus. This deal surpassed Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck's contract as the league's highest paid player in terms of average money per year. Carr himself was surpassed that August by Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's $27 million annual contract.

On September 10, 2017, in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans, Carr finished the 26–16 victory 22-of-32 for 262 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 2, against the New York Jets, he was 23-of-28 passing for 230 yards and three touchdowns in a 45–20 victory. During Thursday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, Carr finished with a season-high 417 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders won 31–30 on a game-winning two-yard pass from Carr to wide receiver Michael Crabtree as time expired. During Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys, Carr finished with 171 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. However, in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, Carr fumbled close to the endzone, resulting in a touchback, and the Raiders lost 20–17. On New Year's Eve, in the regular season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, he threw a career-high 87-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper in the 30–10 loss. Overall, in the 2017 season, the Raiders finished with a 6–10 record and missed the playoffs. Carr finished with 3,496 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. On January 22, 2018, he was named to his third straight Pro Bowl as a replacement for the Super Bowl-bound Tom Brady. Carr was ranked 60th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

2018 season
Carr entered the 2018 season with a new head coach in Jon Gruden. After a 0–3 start to the season where he threw two touchdowns to five interceptions, Carr threw for 437 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 45–42 overtime victory in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. In Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts, Carr threw for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 42–28 loss. He also rushed for his first career rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak. In Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers, Carr was benched in the fourth quarter for AJ McCarron after the Raiders were losing 31–3. Before he was benched, Carr passed for 171 yards. In Week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Carr passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns in the 40–33 loss. In Week 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carr threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns in a 24–21 win. In Week 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Carr passed for 263 yard and a touchdown in a 30–16 loss, while throwing 301 passes and breaking the franchise record for most passes without an interception. In Week 16, against the Denver Broncos, he passed for 167 yards as the Raiders won 27–14. With a disappointing 4–12 record, Carr finished the season with a career-high 4,049 passing yards, a career-low 19 touchdowns, and ten interceptions.

Personal life
Carr married Heather Neel on June 29, 2012. The couple have three sons. His oldest son was born with a medical condition that tied up his intestines and required three surgeries to correct.

Carr is a Christian and has said his faith is the most important thing in his life. He has tattoos on his wrists, the left citing a verse from the Biblical Book of Jeremiah and the right depicting a Chi Rho.

Carr's brother, David, was the first overall pick of the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL Draft. David played in the NFL from 2002 to 2012 with various teams. Carr's uncle, Lon Boyett, played at the tight end position for the Raiders during the 1978 season.