Derek Carr’s puppy love for Jon Gruden is slightly concerning
New Saints quarterback Derek Carr has distanced himself from the Raiders but not from former coach Jon Gruden. What’s up with that?
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr basically called ex-Raiders coach Jon Gruden the best he’s ever had. Which begs the question… What is Dennis Allen to him, then? The meaningless rebound?
Carr and Gruden were reunited in the Saints facility last month when NOLA decided to bring in the former Las Vegas Raiders coach to help Carr adjust to his new role. Having coached Carr for four years, Gruden has a closer relationship to the 32-year-old quarterback than Dennis Allen does and helped him become the Pro Bowl-caliber player he is today.
However, Carr’s recent comments on Gruden border on something resembling excessive nostalgia.
“I played my best football for him. So if anybody — trust me, I spent a lot of time with him. And so if anybody knows me, knows things about me that I don’t know, he would know it.”
“When all that stuff happened, it was hard for me because you’re mad, you’re frustrated. But you don’t stop loving him, you know? I love that man and what he’s meant to me in my career.”
Derek Carr professes his everlasting love to a Raiders coach not named Dennis Allen
It’s nice to see Carr open up and reveal his deep feelings for an old coach, and it makes perfect sense that Gruden would feel like “family” to him even after Gruden’s controversial email leak.
Yet Carr has to remember he’s not in Las Vegas anymore. He’s on the New Orleans Saints, and his job is to make new lasting connections with the Saints’ coaching staff, not dote on a disgraced long-lost love.
Gruden may be the best coach Carr has ever had, but Allen was the first: Dennis Allen served as the Raiders’ head coach in 2014, and under Allen, Las Vegas stumbled to a 3-13 record; Carr threw for a career-low 3,270 yards and recorded 21 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Allen was swiftly replaced the following year by Jack Del Rio, and it was only then when Carr started racking up Pro Bowl campaigns.
Allen and Carr’s first and only year together raises cause for concern given how poorly the Raiders performed back in 2014, and the two have quite a bit of work ahead of them to turn NOLA into a playoff-contending team.
Bringing in Gruden to help ease Carr’s transition into a new offensive scheme may have been a savvy move, but the Saints have to hope Carr doesn’t get too attached to his old coach.
With Dennis Allen potentially on the hot seat this season, Carr’s performance in his first year with the Saints could have very harsh consequences. It’s time for Carr to move on… unless… Carr’s angling for Gruden to take Allen’s job in the future.
