Fans crushed NFL Network’s David Carr for his embarrassing joke about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Why even say that?

The relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has been the talk of the NFL season, and since the couple officially went public back in September, we’ve heard just about all the commentary there is to hear from the sports world. There have been some insightful takes as well as some terrible (and misogynistic) remarks.

The joke from NFL Network’s David Carr certainly falls in the latter category.

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During a discussion about key players for the Super Bowl, Carr — a former journeyman QB with more interceptions than touchdowns — chose 49ers tight end George Kittle. He immediately went into the point with a totally unnecessary and weird joke.

Carr said:

“I’m glad Taylor Swift is out of the country. Because if she sees George Kittle, she might rethink the tight end that she chose.”

The joke fell completely flat on the air, and it didn’t make sense either. Kittle and his wife, Claire, have been married since 2019. Carr apparently didn’t realize that and conceded, “My bad.” But still, why even bring that joke into a football discussion? Fans on social media understandably called Carr out for the bad joke.

The Jalen Hurts narrative is getting a little ridiculous

The negative narrative regarding Jalen Hurts has gone out of control, and NFL Network’s David Carr is the latest to sign his name to it.

Following a brutal loss to the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts have faced an absurd amount of criticism and backlash for their performance in that game. While no, Hurts and the gang did not show off their best football against an elite team, some of the feedback in the media has reached the peak, of what I can only assume is clickbait and overreaction.

The biggest such offense of this reactionary content comes from NFL Network analyst David Carr, who while usually being a reliable source of credible football analysis, said the following on Tuesday;

“Clearly, Jalen isn’t comfortable reading through a defense in a drop-back pass scenario, some would say he’s not even good at it. And I think that when you look at this team, you have to have a serious conversation if you’re Philly. And you have to really say, ‘Is it better for us to play Marcus Mariota right now and let Jalen get fully healthy?’ Because I would argue that it does not matter if they’re the number one seed. Because if the 49ers come into Philly again, they do not care.”

It’s fair to argue that Hurts has been a bit cold and it could be due to injury, but to suggest he is playing at a level in which he should be rested or outright benched is a stretch. Hurts even if he is at 75% is still one of the most gifted quarterbacks in the league, which includes as a passer. We have seen even in recent weeks surgical execution of drives by Hurts, routinely leading an albeit talented squad up and down the field.

Last we saw of Marcus Mariota was his stint as a starter last season, one in which his arm looked all but cooked when attempting to push the ball down the field. While Mariota is certainly a serviceable backup and can operate within this Philadelphia offense especially with a dangerous set of wheels, Nick Sirriani would be a fool to pull the plug on Hurts for any reason beyond critical failure.

Let’s maybe hold off on such rash overreactions from one game. Hurts has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league on one of the best teams and up until this point was not questioned on his play. There could be so many different layers of factors to why Hurts stumbled last week, up to and including “just having an off day”. It’s unlikely at any point in the future Hurts will be benched, and it is more likely that he may walk away with a MVP trophy at the end of the year.

David Carr actually thinks the Eagles should bench Jalen Hurts for Marcus Mariota

Yeah, this is certainly a take.

In what’s got to be one of the more stunning takes of the 2023 NFL season, NFL Network analyst and former quarterback David Carr actually suggested the Philadelphia Eagles bench Jalen Hurts.

Yes, this was an actual take, not an attempt at a bit. Carr really said he feels the Eagles should sit Hurts for the time being and start backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Carr padded his opinion with concerns over Hurts’ health and thinks sitting him could get him healthier sooner (technically possible), but he also argued that the quarterback’s ability to read a defense while drop-back passing could be holding the Eagles back right now. … What?

No matter the reasoning, you really need to watch this clip.

There is a real concerted effort to say that a possibly dinged-up Hurts still playing at a high level isn’t as good an option for Philly than Mariota, who got benched by the Atlanta Falcons last year and has been inconsistent in his career. No offense to Mariota in the slightest… but no?

While Hurts was evaluated for a concussion on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, he returned to the game. He also suffered a knee injury earlier in the season, but it hasn’t been enough to hold him out of recent games or prevent him from playing well.

Pushing through manageable injuries is just part of the process if you’re a superstar player like Hurts, and there really aren’t many arguments (if any) to make that sitting the quarterback for Mariota would do any good for the team.

Also, Hurts has been playing at an MVP level this season, which makes Carr’s suggestion even harder to comprehend.

This is the kind of hot take that stuns you, if only because it’s hard to think an NFL team would actually bench a player as talented as Hurts at this point in the season for a less talented player.

Twitter reacts to David Carr saying Eagles should bench QB Jalen Hurts for Marcus Mariota

Former No. 1 overall pick and NFL Network analyst David Carr sugges tthe Eagles bench Jalen Hurts for Marcus Mariota

David Carr played ten seasons for four teams, including the Texans and Giants.

The former No. 1 overall pick threw for 14,452 yards and 65 touchdowns while getting sacked an NFL-record 76 times in 16 games as a rookie.

Carr was sacked 267 times in his career, helping transition to a career in broadcasting with the NFL Network.

After the Eagles 42-19 loss to the 49ers on Sunday, Carr hopped on the overreaction train, leading the charge of misinformation while stating that Hurts is struggling to read defenses and, even more absurdly, suggesting that Nick Sirianni bench the All-Pro Hurts, for the backup, Marcus Mariota.

Social media reacts to everything, and Carr’s stunning hot take revved up reactions.

Dan Orlovsky, David Carr praise Bryce Young’s performance in preseason finale

Dan Orlovsky and David Carr really liked what they saw out of Bryce Young in his preseason finale on Friday night.

A few former NFL quarterbacks seem pretty excited about the Carolina Panthers’ current quarterback.

2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young closed the book on his first pro summer with a sparkling performance this past Friday night. The rookie completed seven of his 12 passing attempts for a preseason-high 73 yards and his first touchdown while scrambling for another 21 yards on the ground.

And it was that first touchdown that left ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky in awe.

Fellow passer-turned-analyst David Carr had a similar sentiment on Young’s talent as a thrower.

“These deep crossing routes—they’re not easy,” Carr said on NFL Network’s Total Access. “You gotta layer that ball a little bit. The ability to step up in the pocket—a lot of young guys are not sure what they see. They kinda bail out to their throwing arm side. I don’t necessarily see him do that a lot.”

In addition to the beauty of a 16-yard score to Adam Thielen, Young also connected for completions of 14 yards and 21 yards over his pair of possessions. He ended his three exhibition appearances having hit on 14 of his 24 passes for 129 yards and the touchdown.

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Former Texans QB David Carr picks Dallas Cowboys fans as most deserving of Super Bowl LVIII win

Former Houston Texans quarterback David Carr, the first pick in team history, says Dallas Cowboys fans are most deserving of a Super Bowl win.

The rivalry between Dallas and Houston runs deep

Even though the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys don’t play each other for four years — similar to the Olympics — Clutch City sports fans enjoy seeing their NFL team stick it to the team at the northern terminus of Interstate 45.

The only thing least odious to fans in Houston than the Tennessee Titans parading around in Houston Oilers jerseys would be having the Cowboys win a Super Bowl.

According to NFL Media’s David Carr, who was the Texans’ No. 1 overall pick in 2002, the Cowboys fan base is the most deserving of a Super Bowl win at the end of the 2023 campaign.

High expectations hover over the Cowboys annually, and no one in that franchise or fan base is shy about the desire to earn a sixth Lombardi Trophy — especially owner Jerry Jones. Lately, Dallas has had the firepower to give itself a chance at its first title in nearly three decades, but major blunders have abruptly ended those aspirations. The constant emotional roller coaster is almost too much to take.

Independent of the Cowboys, it was such a strange take to go with a team that already has five Super Bowls. Carr’s colleagues went with the Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, and Jacksonville Jaguars — all of whom have a collective one title between them, the last of which was Super Bowl III, twice as long as the Cowboys’ current title drought.

Aside from earning a city’s respect for taking 249 sacks over his first four seasons, and leading the league three times, Carr endeared himself immediately with a 19-10 win over the Cowboys on Sept. 8, 2002, at then-Reliant Stadium. The reintroduction of the NFL in Space City came with giving the Cowboys a black eye.

Texans fans may not have expected Carr to pick Houston as most deserving to win a Super Bowl this season, but they would have expected him to pick anybody other than the Cowboys.

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Every first-round QB who started NFL Opening Day since 2002

Take a look at every first-round QB who started Opening Day as a rookie since 2002.

Taking a quarterback in the first round can go two different ways in the NFL. Either a team can afford to let the talent mature — as was the case with Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers — or they need inspired play under center immediately.

The latter approach either leads to a quarterback who takes his lumps and grows with the team — think Cam Newton — or takes so many lumps he’s spent, like David Carr.

Not every first-round quarterback starts Week 1. Some who should have sat, and some who should have sat were thrust into the moment.

Here is a look at each first-round rookie quarterback who started on Opening Day since 2002.

David Carr: Derek Carr’s Saints ‘team to beat’ in NFC South

Former NFL QB David Carr believes the Saints’ veteran assets (particularly the one under center) make them the team to beat in the NFC South this season.

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So, who’s the team to beat in a division where every team kept beating themselves last year?

Former quarterback David Carr was asked that question on a recent episode of NFL Total Access—and the former Carolina Panthers passer kept it within the family.

“Let’s look at it objectively,” Carr said. “Because it’s all about the quarterback position. Not to put all the pressure on my brother, but that’s really what it is, right? If you can have an experienced guy, a veteran guy that feels comfortable in the system—then you automatically have a chance, right?

“All these other positions. We just heard from Desmond Ridder, what they’re doing in Carolina—young quarterback. That’s tough. It’s an unknown, right? And there’s so many things you learn as a quarterback as you grow and develop that you just don’t know as a young guy. Like, those guys are all gonna be good football players. It might take ’em a while to get to the point where they’re ready to go push and win a division. Maybe it won’t. Maybe it’ll be this year—because of how close that thing is.”

David’s brother, of course, is Derek—whom the Saints signed back in early March. But to Carr’s credit (the older one), Carr (the younger one) is the most proven and successful pro commodity under center in the division at the moment.

Big bro also went on to provide another pertinent detail, one that resides on the other side of the ball.

“But you gotta go with the Saints,” Carr added. “They already have a top-10 defense, that defense is solid. They’re experienced. Just talkin’ with Derek about how they run their OTAs, how they’ve been through team activities. This is an experienced veteran group that has the feeling of a team that’s right on the cusp of doing something great.”

Despite finishing at 7-10, New Orleans still boasted one of the league’s top defenses. They allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game (314.8) and the ninth-fewest points per game (20.3).

But, as Carr also alluded to, maybe one of the youngsters from Carolina or Atlanta is ready to put his team over the top. And maybe that youngster is Bryce Young.

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Is it the Panthers’ turn to blow No. 1 pick and allow the Texans to succeed?

The Houston Texans blew No. 1 overall in 2002, and the Carolina Panthers nailed the next pick. Will the script flip for the Texans in 2023?

You don’t even need to know how to spell “NRG” to know the Houston Texans blew it by taking David Carr over Julius Peppers.

According to Tyler Sullivan from CBS Sports, the Texans’ selection of the quarterback No. 1 overall was one of the biggest draft blunders, especially when the Carolina Panthers took the defensive end the very next selection.

Had the Texans elected to bolster their defense upon first entering the league, they likely would have found a little more success as the Carolina Panthers were able to select pass rusher Julius Peppers right after Carr. Peppers went on to have a tremendous career that wrapped up back in 2018. He was named to nine Pro Bowls over his career and is a member of the All-Decade Teams for both the 2000s and 2010s. Peppers also holds the NFL record for most forced fumbles of all time.

The 2002 NFL draft also had a strange No. 1 overall pick the same as 2023. Just as a team in possession of the No. 1 overall pick doesn’t win its last game on a fourth quarter comeback to lose the selection, so too do teams finishing 1-15 normally pick atop the draft order. That was not the case for the Panthers, who had to allow the Texans to cut to the top of the order.

What if the Texans end up with the better selection long-term this time?

Houston desires Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, but it appears the Panthers also want him as their signal caller under first-year coach Frank Reich.

The Texans could go with Young’s teammate, defensive end Will Anderson, at No. 2 overall in a move reminiscent of Houston taking Carr and Carolina taking Peppers.

The stakes were higher for Carolina and Houston in 2002 as neither team had an extra first-round pick. Conceivably the Texans can hedge their bets with another shot at quarterback with the No. 12 overall pick.

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David Carr: ‘Sky is the limit’ for Brian Daboll’s Giants

David Carr loves what the New York Giants are doing and believes the “sky is the limit” under head coach Brian Daboll.

There is no question that almost every expert who covers the NFL agrees the New York Giants are heading in the right direction after five straight losing seasons in which they lost 10 or more games.

The hiring of Brian Daboll as their head coach has rekindled the creative, competitive, and cultural fires that had been stamped out by misfires by the former general manager and his coaching hires.

Giants co-owner John Mara recently compared Daboll to a rock star (Bono of U2) and the round table at NFL Network, which consisted of former Giants backup quarterback David Carr, chimed in on the difference Daboll has made.

“I love what’s happening in New York because for John Mara to feel that comfortable to make that type of joke. . . knowing the New York media like I do, he must feel really good about his head coach,” Carr said. “He must feel really good about his quarterback (Daniel Jones) — and he should — and the direction that they’re going.”

Carr also likes the personnel moves the Giants have made to upgrade their passing game.

“My favorite part about this whole offseason has been the addition of (tight end) Darren Waller to this group and what that’s going to do for this offensive system,” Carr said.

“When I watched the Giants play last year. . . I remember being in London. We were watching that team develop into a good football team. And they were doing it without a real threat down the middle, without a real matchup guy outside. All the attention was on Saquon Barkley. They were loaded up to stop the run and Daniel had developed as a quarterback in this system

“But now you have a guy out there that can essentially create offense for you just by (lining up), just by putting him out at wide receiver, which he can play. Putting him in-line and block for Saquon, which he can easily do.”

In closing, Carr reiterated his optimism about Big Blue’s future.

“I love where this team is going. I love the direction they are going. I love the physicality,” Carr said. “Like I knew it was going to be good X’s and O’s wise, but the toughness that he brought to this group has been fantastic. So, the sky’s the limit for these guys.”

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