Derek Carr reaches new stage in career as he hits a milestone birthday

Sunday was a big day for the Las Vegas Raiders — their starting quarterback turned 30.

Where has the time gone? It seemed like just yesterday that the Raiders took Derek Carr out of Fresno State in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft with the 36th overall pick. But “yesterday” was actually seven years ago ... and Carr is now entering another era in his career.

Carr is the 12th oldest starting quarterback in the NFL, and is the fourth oldest starting quarterback in the AFC behind Ben Roethlisberger (39) of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ryan Tannehill (32) of the Tennessee Titans and Cam Newton (31) of the New England Patriots. For the second straight season, Carr is the oldest starting quarterback in the AFC West.

Yet, even though he has joined the 30 club, it’s a stretch to think Carr is nearing the end of his career. He realistically has another 8-10 productive seasons remaining. The Raiders have considered extending Carr’s contract that would keep him in Las Vegas until at least his mid-30s.

But in the NFL, any player who turns 30 can no longer be considered young.