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Following the hiring of Jon Gruden as the Oakland Raiders' new head coach, much of the media attention has shifted toward his relationship with Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr.
Reports emerged about possible concerns with Gruden's often-times brash coaching style. Despite that being thrown out there, Carr has voiced that he wants the 54-year-old to be hard on him as that type of coaching brings the best out of his abilities, according to Matt Kawahara of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Carr on Gruden: "I hope he's really hard on me. And I think that he will be … Some of my best years I've had were with coaches that were extremely tough on me and extremely demanding. For me that’s nothing. That's where I thrive." #Raiders
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) January 22, 2018
Although Carr took a step back in 2017, he is still heralded as one of the league's most promising young quarterbacks. The 26-year-old has displayed his unique ability by throwing for more than 20 touchdowns and 3,250 yards in each of his first four seasons. This includes an MVP-caliber campaign in 2016 that was cut short due to a broken leg.
More importantly, he has also shown the ability to lead his team to success behind his arm. This is an asset that will likely come into play with Gruden, who has continued to praise Carr for his ability to make all the necessary throws on the field. He has even gone as far as stating he wants to “unlock the greatness” that the three-time Pro Bowler possesses.
New offensive coordinator Greg Olson also stated similar sentiment voicing that he believes Carr will excel under Gruden's tutelage, next season and beyond. The Raiders are clearly committed to that idea as their strong belief in his potential is exemplified through the five-year, $125 million extension they gave him last June. The fact that Carr is ready to embrace Gruden's coaching style could bode well for the two quickly getting on the same page.
With the organization fully behind Carr as their franchise quarterback for the next decade, Oakland hopes to develop into a perennial playoff contender.
