Derek Carr wants to be with the Raiders for life and took a big step toward achieving that on Thursday.
Carr announced that he and the Raiders have finalized his long-expected contract extension, with the NFL Network reporting the deal is for five years and worth $125 million. It makes him the highest paid player in league history.
Carr's rookie four-year deal was set to expire after this season, and he had placed a deadline of training camp to get this extension done. It was a clear priority for the Raiders who also wish to eventually extend defensive end Khalil Mack and right guard Gabe Jackson, the two other huge pieces from their vaunted 2014 draft class.
Mack, as a first round pick, was eligible to have a fifth-year option picked up for 2018 and so by doing that, the Raiders gave themselves the flexibility to handle his deal next year.
Carr's deal, at an average of $25 million per year, would push him ahead of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, whose average is $24,584,000. Luck signed a five-year extension last summer for nearly $123 million.
According to NFL Media, Carr will receiving $40 million upon signing and is guaranteed $70 million in case of injury.
Even at this cost, extending Carr was a no-brainer for a Raiders organization that spent years looking for a franchise quarterback.
Carr has become that and more since being taken in the second round out of Fresno State. He started every game his rookie year, then made the Pro Bowl as an alternate his second season in the league.
He was a legitimate MVP candidate and finished tied for third in the voting in 2016 while leading the Raiders to a 12-3 record before suffering a fractured fibula on Christmas Eve _ a game in which he was out-dueling Luck while staking the Raiders to a 33-14 lead before the injury.
Carr finished last year with 3,937 passing yards, a 96.7 passer rating, 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions. In his three-year career, he has 81 touchdowns against just 31 picks.
There was no confirmation from the Raiders, but coach Jack Del Rio felt good enough about it to congratulate his quarterback on Twitter.
