Derek Carr’s retirement is bringing out the tributes. Former teammates and one of Carr’s former coaches have been chiming in left and right. Carr and Gruden have been linked since 2018, when Gruden was brought to Oakland to turn the troubled franchise around and elevate Carr’s game.
Gruden didn’t get a chance to finish his job with the franchise. However, he became an essential and transformative part of Carr’s play over the rest of his career.
Gruden Lauds Derek Carr’s Mental Toughness
Gruden took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to praise his protégé. “Congratulations on a great career. You showcased incredible mental toughness and preparation for over a decade. I love you and enjoyed our time. Keep shredding!”
Congratulations on a great career. You showcased incredible mental toughness and preparation for over a decade. I love you and enjoyed our time. Keep shredding! @derekcarrqb https://t.co/CJyG5l7SzI
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden)
Before Gruden arrived in Oakland, Carr had already established himself as a top-notch quarterback. Drafted in the second round in 2014, Carr seized the starting job from Matt Schaub and threw for 3,270 yards, 21 touchdowns, and completed 58% of his passes.
He flashed his potential in 2015 with 3,987 passing yards and 32 touchdowns, but he broke out in 2016. He was on pace for an MVP-caliber season. He led the Raiders to a 12-3 record with seven game-winning drives. Carr threw for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just six interceptions while completing 63.8% of his passes for a 96.7 passer rating. Armed with a potent offense and a surging defense, the Raiders were poised for their first Super Bowl run in over a decade.
But it all came crashing down in a Week 16 matchup on Christmas Eve against the Indianapolis Colts. Carr was awkwardly sacked in the fourth quarter and broke his left fibula, ending his season. Without him, the Raiders floundered. Second-string Matt McGloin was injured in Week 17, and rookie Connor Cook threw three interceptions in the Raiders’ loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round.
The Raiders signed Carr to a five-year, $125 million contract, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time. However, 2017 was a mixed bag for Carr. He threw for 3,496 yards and 22 touchdowns, but he threw 13 interceptions and sometimes looked hesitant and unsure. The Raiders fell to 6-10 as the defense collapsed, and the locker room boiled over.
Head coach Matt Del Rio was fired, and Gruden was brought back. Hailed as the returning prodigal son, his first task was to restore Carr’s confidence. He installed a new offense focused on quick-reads, precision passes, and exploiting mismatches. It was a perfect match.
Carr returned to form in 2018, completing 68.9% of his passes and throwing for 4,049 yards and 19 touchdowns. It was the first of four straight 4,000-yard seasons and four consecutive seasons of a passer rating of 93.4 or higher.
Gruden was forced to resign just a few weeks into the 2021 season, reportedly due to the use of allegedly homophobic, misogynistic, and racist terms in emails sent by Gruden prior to becoming the Raiders’ head coach. Carr and the Raiders made the playoffs, but were bounced by the Cincinnati Bengals.
But Gruden and Carr’s bond never broke. When Carr signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 2023, Gruden was brought in to help then-head coach Dennis Allen install an offense that matched Carr’s strengths.
In the case of Carr and Gruden, a shared offensive philosophy is the tie that binds.
