For NFL quarterbacks, losing comes with the job. They’re judged according to the matchups, and they get paid to win games and put up big numbers, although Brock Purdy might argue otherwise. Many of the factors that go into winning are out of their control, but who ever said life is fair?
Then there’s Derek Carr. He’s had a long and somewhat successful career, especially if you judge him by his career earnings, which Spotrac pegs at just under $200 million. (And you thought Kirk Cousins was The Guy Who Always Gets Paid.) His career has been a tribute to mediocrity, and this weekend he could become the NFL’s biggest loser if the New Orleans Saints drop their game to the lowly Panthers tomorrow.
Derek Carr could become the first NFL QB to lose to 31 teams
Given the Panthers penchant for sheer awfulness, it seems remarkable that Carr has never lost to them. This is probably because he somehow managed to be a one-team guy through 2022, when his nine-year run with the Raiders mercifully came to a close.
The other team Derek Carr hasn’t lost to is those same Raiders, although this seems inevitable now that Carr is cruising toward the hardcore journeyman stage of his career. With the Saints scheduled to play Las Vegas in the season finale, though, Carr could boost that number to 32 with a loss, which would be yet another achievement to add to his legacy.
Carr’s record as a starter earns him a place on the Mt. Rushmore of mediocrity. He’s 74-90 as an NFL starter, with a single loss in his lone playoff appearance. Which means that Carr is just good enough to hang around and keep his spot as a starter, but not good enough to get you into the postseason and actually win a game. He’s coming back from an injury tomorrow, and Carr has wisely stated that he’s “no savior.”
By the numbers
If it’s hard to understand how the phenomenon known as Derek Carr happened, his numbers tell a tale of a quarterback you might want as your team's starter. On the surface, they’re at least acceptable—his career completion percentage is a tick over 65 percent, and he’s thrown 250 TDs against 111 interceptions, which isn’t half bad.
Carr’s yardage per pass attempt is where the picture starts to turn muddy. He’s spent most of his career getting 7-8 yards a throw, which is another definition of mediocrity, especially since he’s never been able to get to push past 7.9. His QB ratings consistently land between 86 and 101, a range that also fits the definition. He’s taken exactly 300 sacks in his career, which isn’t quite as impressive as his brother David’s punching bag numbers, but Derek can take a hit.
Carr is the ultimate tough watch
Those numbers may be acceptable, but the eye test is where the argument that Derek Carr is a good quarterback starts to realy fall apart. He’s a tough watch, and at times the experience can be absolutely maddening.
Between the 20’s, Carr sometimes looks like a quarterback who’s capable of greatness. He mostly makes good choices, and some of his throws are impressive. Every now and then Carr will drop in a long dime, but the excitement he generates will always be short-lived.
That brings us to the turnovers. And the poor decisions. Plus the bad sacks. These always have the air of inevitability to them, and they almost always happen at the worst possible time, as if Carr has suddenly realized that he’s punching above his weight, talent-wise.
So why does Derek Carr have value? Simple—he’s a job saver. NFL coaches spend their careers in a pressure cooker, and having a guy like Carr who can keep them within shouting distance of .500 means he’ll always have a job among the disenfranchised. The list of quarterbacks who have lost to 30 teams includes guys like Matt Hasselback, Alex Smith and Matt Ryan, but tomorrow Carr will have a chance to set himself apart as the ultimate symbol of NFL mediocrity.