McKenzie: Serious Talks on Carr Extension Coming After NFL Draft

PHOENIX – Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will soon enter a contract year. There is zero chance he becomes a free agent.

The Raiders plan to work out a contract extension with their franchise quarterback this offseason, and have budgeted appropriately for what will assuredly be a massive deal.

Both sides want to get a deal done, and general manager Reggie McKenzie said there has been good communication toward that end. This should ramp up, however, later in the spring.

There isn't a huge rush and Carr isn't pressing to get a deal done.

"He knows what we're trying to do in free agency, and he's never saying, ‘I need to know now. It's not like that," McKenzie said. "More likely, the serious talks will happen after the (NFL) draft. The communication has been ongoing, just talking about the philosophy of a contract and the thought process around it. Hopefully when the serious talks start going, then it's going to be easier."

Carr is the first of three extensions the Raiders hope to complete with players from McKenzie's revolutionary 2014 draft class.

Edge rusher Khalil Mack will get a huge deal in time, though the Raiders can exercise a fifth-year option in his contract for the 2018 season. McKenzie also said the Raiders would like to extend right guard Gabe Jackson, a three-year starter who has been a rock on the interior offensive line.

Those three guys won't be cheap, which is why the Raiders were more conservative in free agency than years past.

"We're going to try and get our quarterback signed. We want to get Khalil signed , and at the same time we're trying to sign Gabe," McKenzie said. "You have to allot some money for those guys. With that being said, we didn't have the opportunity to go after guys like we did last year, at those numbers."

Copyright CSNBY - CSN BAY
Contact Us