Somewhere along the line, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr turned 30 years old. He’s in his eighth year with Las Vegas, and for longtime followers of the team, his rookie season seems like yesterday.
It clearly wasn’t, however. Carr turned 30 back in March, but thankfully for coach Jon Gruden, Carr says he’s never felt better. The only indication of his age appeared when he took a look at his beard recently.
“Honestly, the only thing that’s different is I’ve got gray hairs in my beard,” Carr said of his age during media availability on Wednesday. “I haven’t grown it out in a while and I was like ‘bro, I’ve got like five gray hairs. What is going on?'”
That’s a moment many can relate to. And if you can’t, it’s a near certainty you will. It’s all a part of growing older, but Carr says that thanks to modern training techniques, he feels as though he can play another 15 years.
“I feel like I’m 20,” he said. “I think … I honestly believe this … our generation, the way we’ve taken care of our bodies, I think 30 is the new 20. I feel like I could play another 15 years, without a doubt. Nothings hurting. It’s the middle of camp, and I feel great.
“I feel strong in the weight room. I feel fast; I feel explosive. I honestly feel stronger, faster, better than I did when I first got to the NFL. And that comes with more knowledge on how to train, how to eat, and how to take care of your body. And that takes a little bit of money sometimes, but it’s definitely worth it.”
Carr is definitely correct regarding the shift in training. And one reason athletes put more effort into their bodies is something Carr mentioned: money. There’s more paid out to players now than ever. Certainly more than when former Raiders QB Kenny Stabler won ballgames in bunches in the 1970s, for example. That’s a huge incentive to eat right and work out, for starters.
And it’s easy to believe that Carr feels better than ever, too. He’s at the sweet spot in his career; most athletes at 30 years old are at the peak of their physical prime.
The question is, when will Carr’s level of play deteriorate? When will the NFL notice less zip on his passes? But while he could very well play another 15 years — or not — the most relevant part of his comments is how he feels now. He’s at the top of his game in what’s a crucial year for Gruden and the Raiders.
That’s gotta feel good for Carr. And it probably makes those few gray hairs easy to laugh at as he prepares to hit the gridiron stronger, faster, and better than ever.
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