One of the best off-season pieces that is released every year is Mike Sando’s Quarterback Tier survey on The Athletic. He is able to get 50 NFL executives and coaches to speak candidly about every (possible) starting quarterback in the NFL. The NFL decision-makers are asked to group the quarterbacks by tier, which makes for a fascinating read.
Once again, Derek Carr received mixed reviews from the NFL coaches and front office members as he was ranked in Tier 3 at No. 20. In fact, this is the second season Carr has finished at No. 20 in Sando’s survey.
A common theme from the NFL decision-makers was Carr’s ability to make plays under pressure. Several questioned how he responds to contact and one executive said that he “inspires no confidence” in his team. Here is another quote from a defensive coordinator about Carr:
“When things are going well, you can see the ability Carr has, but he is a dude who when he gets hit, his whole game changes.”
It’s worth noting that Marcus Mariota ranked at No. 27 in Sando’s piece, but he clearly doesn’t have the same arm talent as Carr, according to the piece. It’s fascinating to see how the NFL currently values Carr despite having one of the best seasons of his career in 2019.
The upcoming 2020 season will likely be a make-or-break season for Carr with the Raiders as the team is ready to compete for a playoff spot. If he can help them accomplish that goal, we should see Carr rise up this list dramatically by this time next season. If not, Carr could easily fall out of Tier 3 if the Raiders struggle to win more than a handful of games.
The 2020 season will be Carr’s best chance at silencing the critic as he finally has the weapons at his disposal to get back to an elite level passer. Look for Carr to have a monster season this year in his third year under Jon Gruden.
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