Rookie Derek Carr Named Raiders' Starting Quarterback Over Matt Schaub

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Oakland rookie Derek Carr will start the season opener against the New York Jets, becoming the first Raiders quarterback to start the first game of his rookie season.

Coach Dennis Allen announced Monday that Carr would be the starter for the foreseeable future ahead of Matt Schaub, who struggled in the preseason and has been hampered by a sore elbow.

“We’ve seen signs of Derek Carr’s development from the day he stepped on campus here to where he is at right now,” Allen said. “We’ve seen him grow by leaps and bounds and I think he’s ready to accept the challenge.”

Schaub was anointed starter after being acquired in a trade from Houston in March but has been outplayed by Carr all summer. Carr solidified the starting job by throwing three touchdown passes and leading the Raiders to the end zone four times in as many drives against Seattle last week.

“It’s not an indictment on Matt Schaub at all,” Allen said. “I feel very confident in Matt Schaub. I think it says more about we feel Derek Carr is in his progression.”

Neither Carr nor Schaub was available in the locker room Monday. Both are scheduled to talk to the media Tuesday.

Carr, a second-round pick out of Fresno State in May, will become the 18th starting quarterback for the Raiders since the start of the 2003 season.

Carr was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in college football last season. He threw for 5,083 yards and 50 touchdowns with only eight interceptions in a spread offense at Fresno State that included many quick screens and almost exclusively shotgun formations.

But he also played one year in college in a pro-style offense under former coach Pat Hill and has made the transition back to that kind of system since joining the Raiders.

Carr played well in the preseason, completing 66.7 percent of his passes with four touchdowns, one interception and a 108.2 passer rating. He showed the strong arm needed to stretch the field, completing 11 of 18 passes more than 10 yards downfield for 234 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.