For years, Derek Carr has heard murmurs about the Raiders considering replacing him. 

The topic reached a roar this past weekend following the revelation that Tom Brady, prior to signing with Tampa Bay in 2020, was reportedly interested in joining Las Vegas until being shut down by then-coach Jon Gruden. If any of it bothered Carr, he’s not letting on as much.

When asked Tuesday whether he’d grown immune to the outside noise, Carr cracked a smile. 

“By now, I would hope so,” Carr said. “I mean, it is what it is.”

The Raiders have flirted with the idea of moving on from Carr before. Even the structure of his new contract gives them the freedom to move on from the three-time Pro Bowler after this season, if they so desire. Carr must establish himself under first-year coach Josh McDaniels, incidentally Brady’s longtime coordinator with the Patriots. 

But with the season kicking off in less than three weeks, the organization’s purported dalliance with the GOAT a couple years ago didn’t seem to concern Carr one bit.  

“It really doesn’t matter,” Carr said. “At the end of the day, anything I say will just be blasted out there, so I’m just going to completely remove myself and just keep trying to play football. It’s been nice just answering football questions. And hopefully, no more drama in the city. That’s what I hope.”

The 31-year-old Carr has been a staple for the Raiders franchise, serving as its starter for the entirety of his eight-year career while missing just two games. Last year, he completed 68.4% of his passes for a personal-best 4,804 yards with 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. 

His individual production has consistently rated above average among QB1s. What’s lacking is team and postseason success. The Raiders have gone 57-70 with Carr, reaching the playoffs just twice and failing to advance past the wild-card round. Until they do, calls for the club to upgrade at QB will likely continue. 

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