NFL: Ranking every quarterback midseason

NFL: Ranking every quarterback midseason: 11. Derek Carr – Las Vegas Raiders

Derek Carr has gone through more this season than any of the starting quarterbacks on this list. The Jon Gruden saga was an ugly one, and Carr had to step up as a leader to lead this Raiders team to instill a winning culture. For years, people have called for Derek Carr to lose his job or get traded out of Las Vegas. Instead, he’s gotten better and better every year under Gruden, and now he’s taking this team on his back to a winning record.

A lot of the quarterbacks on this list have been panned for their lack of aggressiveness. That has been a headline surrounding Carr’s play in the past, but that’s not the case this season. He’s been pushing the ball down the field, and he’s ready to hit the chunk plays when they are available. Through seven weeks, he is averaging 8.5 yards per attempt, which is by far the highest of his career.

It helps to have playmakers like Darren Waller, Henry Ruggs, and Hunter Renfrow making plays for him. They can make plays down the field. Ruggs, the Raiders’ first-round pick from last season, is averaging close to 20 yards per reception. He is exactly the downfield threat the Raiders were hoping for when they drafted him ahead of Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb.

Carr is the reason this team has a winning record in the first half of the season. The pass rush has helped as well, but Carr is the one going out there and winning these games. Can he sustain it? The Raiders have been here before, and they seem to blow it at the end for whatever reason. This does seem like a different version of Derek Carr. This one seems more sustainable, and he will likely stay around this area of the rankings all season.