Derek Carr is getting one last chance to play in Las Vegas this season, and he sure is making the most of it even if it’s coming at an exhibition event.
The disgruntled veteran quarterback, who appears well on his way to being traded by the Raiders this offseason, was a late addition to the NFL Pro Bowl due to injuries to other signal-callers.
Carr appeared in the Precision Passing challenge Thursday night and despite a disappointing 2022 campaign, he starred during the contest by leading the AFC side to a win by notching 31 points, a better mark than all the other quarterbacks.
Carr certainly had fun with his strong showing by unleashing some self-deprecating humor when asked he if had ever been that hot throwing a football in Las Vegas.
“Not that hot,” Carr told ESPN’s Ryan Clark. “It’s probably why I’m going somewhere else.”
It was quite the comical response from Carr as he embarks on what will be an uncertain and probably tension-filled offseason until he lands with another team.
Carr started 15 games for the Raiders this season before getting benched by Raiders coach Josh McDaniels in favor of backup Jarrett Stidham. Carr, who completed 60.8% of his passes for 3,522 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his ninth season with the Raiders, left the team after the demotion.
Carr could be using the Pro Bowl and the events leading up to it as a way to market himself to potential NFL suitors, but it’s tough to gauge how much stock talent evaluators around the league will put into him throwing at targets with no pass rush coming his way.
Regardless, all Carr has to do is get one team to fall in love with his arm talent, which he has already showcased at the Pro Bowl.
