A red-hot showing during Thursday’s Pro Bowl skills competition in Las Vegas afforded Derek Carr a perfect opportunity to throw shade at the Raiders amid ongoing speculation surrounding his future with the team.
Carr, who was selected as a replacement for the inaugural Pro Bowl Games on Tuesday, came through for his AFC brethren with a laser-sharp effort in the precision passing drill to kick off the night’s festivities. The four-time Pro Bowler racked up 31 total points in a competition where all six AFC and NFC quarterbacks took turns trying to accumulate points by hitting as many targets as possible in one minute.
After the clutch performance, Carr joined ESPN’s Ryan Clark for a sideline interview, where the 31-year-old was asked if he had have ever been that hot in Sin City. His response? “Not that hot,” Carr said, “It’s probably why I’m going somewhere else.”
As you’d expect, Clark and the rest of the broadcasting crew let out quite a laugh at Carr’s biting response, although the reaction could’ve also been due to the levels of awkwardness that ties into the QB’s rocky standing with his only NFL team.
The Raiders opted to sit Carr, the club’s starter since 2014, for the final two games of the regular season. Since then, the 10-year veteran has been the focus of trade rumors, with the latest reports saying Las Vegas could cut Carr if he’s not moved by Feb. 15.
While a release would be a harsh way for his tenure to end, Carr seems to be taking it all in stride, and even having a little fun at his own expense, as the Raiders’ all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns prepares for a likely departure. Needless to say, if Thursday is any indication, Carr may be eager to show out a little more entering Day 2 of the Pro Bowl games on Sunday.
