Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is no stranger to criticism. Since he tossed 28 touchdowns in 2016 while leading the Raiders to a 12-3 record, the 29-year-old signal-caller has failed to match that same success.
The Raiders also made waves this offseason by signing former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota, presumably to either compete for the starting job or to be the backup for Carr.
However, while Carr's most vocal critics see the Mariota signing as the beginning of the end for the veteran Raiders starter, the former second-round pick isn't worried about his job security in the slightest. The Athletic's Vic Tafur asked him about the rumors; Carr responded:
“No. And I say no without getting into too much detail … I knew some of the things that were going to be said and I knew some of the things that were going to be thrown out by the media. I knew a lot of those things. And then I’d wake up in the morning and those things would happen. And, I would just laugh.”
Despite the Raiders' lack of a true No. 1 option at receiver last year, Carr had a solid 2019 campaign. The former Fresno State star was second in the NFL with a 70.4 completion percentage while also throwing for 4,054 and 21 touchdowns with only eight interceptions — his lowest total since 2016.
Mariota, on the other hand, was benched last season for the Tennessee Titans in favor of Ryan Tannehill who faired much better as the team's starter. Injuries have heavily hindered Mariota's career but he still was seen as one of the league's brightest young stars just a few seasons ago.
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