Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has been named an under-the-radar MVP candidate by Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report. Carr has gotten a lot of heat for his struggles on the field and the Raiders struggles the last couple of seasons.
At this point, most people seem to have an idea of what they see Carr as, and most forget that he actually was really good for most of the season last year. From mid-October of last season, he had a passer rating of 97.2 and over his last 11 games, he only threw two interceptions.
Gagnon also points out that Carr had an MVP type season in 2016 and he actually received votes for the award.
“Have we all forgotten that the three-time Pro Bowler is just a couple years removed from an outstanding season in which he earned a half-dozen MVP votes? Carr hasn't been quite the same since that 2016 campaign, but injuries and the transition to a new system and coaching staff certainly didn't help.”
Carr has had a full season in Gruden's system now and he has to feel more confident, especially with how he played at the end of last season. He also has a new weapon in Antonio Brown who should really help his play.
If he can continue to not throw interceptions and the Raiders win more games than what people expect, this is a guy who has to be considered a candidate to win the league MVP award. If he competes for the MVP, there is a good chance the team will consider giving him a new contract to keep him around long-term.
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