Silver Minings: Derek Carr apologizes to Las Vegas for not giving his best last season

There’s no doubt that last season was disappointing for both the Las Vegas Raiders and starting quarterback Derek Carr. The team had playoff aspirations heading into the fall only to end a 6-11 record while Carr regressed statistically and was benched for the final two games of the campaign.

The Raiders’ all-time passing leader now embarks on a new journey with the New Orleans Saints but spent some time reflecting on what went wrong in Las Vegas last season, via a story from the Associated Press’ Brett Martel.

“They just didn’t get my best and that drove me crazy at the end of the year because I felt so spread out in so many different ways,” Carr said during minicamp this week. “I just didn’t feel like myself and I feel bad for the (Raiders) coaches and players.”

Carr’s self-described regression in 2022 wasn’t a matter of effort or desire, he said. Rather, it came down to his approach to a mix of professional and personal challenges which he regrets, but from which he also grew.

The professional challenges last season included learning a new offense under then-new coach Josh McDaniels. Carr also alluded to unspecified personal matters that he preferred remain private. The Raiders were the only team for which Carr had played until they released him last winter.

Carr also touched on his relationship with former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and how he’s thankful the Saints allowed Gruden to help out during OTAs. Gruden’s resignation was something else that weighed on the quarterback’s mind as the full article can be found via the hyperlink above.

In other Raiders’ links:

• Raiders cap space is tight: ESPN’s Field Yates tweeted every NFL team’s available cap space heading into the summer and Las Vegas ranks 30th in the league with just under $3 million.
• Potential RB options: in a worst-case scenario where Josh Jacobs holds out, Las Vegas does have a few options to replace him.
• Tom Brady’s dream comes true: “I grew up in the Bay Area. My favorite team was the 49ers. The team across the bay was the Raiders. And, you know, they’re an iconic NFL franchise. When I look at a lot of the people that have impacted the NFL over a long period of time in the most positive way, (former Raiders owner and GM) Al Davis is one of them,” the G.O.A.T. tells the AP in an interview about his ownership stake in Las Vegas.
• Comparing Raiders’ and A’s relocations: ESPN dives into the similarities and differences between the two teams who have made or are expected to make the move from Oakland to Las Vegas.