(AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders have given quarterback Derek Carr a three-year contract extension, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press.
The extension is worth $121.5 million, the person said, speaking Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.
A team news release did not disclose terms of the deal.
Carr spoke Wednesday at Raiders Headquarters about the extension.
“I’ve only wanted to be a Raider. And I told my agent, I said, ‘I’m either going to be a Raider or I’m going to be playing golf.’ Like, I don’t want to play anywhere else. That’s how much this place means to me,” Carr said.
“I had one year left on my contract. If it was one year, it was going to be one year. Thankfully, it will be four more,” he said.
Despite all sorts of turmoil with the Raiders last season, including the resignation of coach Jon Gruden, Carr helped them to the playoffs as a wild card in the tough AFC West. He threw for a career-high 4,804 yards and 23 touchdowns as Las Vegas went 10-7 before losing at Cincinnati in the postseason.
Carr said the structure of the deal is as important as the money.
“We made sure guys like Chandler (Jones), guys like Davante (Adams), guys like — hopefully, Hunter (Renfro) and Foster (Moreau) and those guys can stay here, the way we structured it,” Carr said.
“I went through heartbreak already last time I signed my contract. My best friend (linebacker Khalil Mack) left. You know what I mean? And I didn’t want that to ever happen again,” Carr said.
An eight-year veteran, Carr, 31, was entering the final year of his deal, worth nearly $19.8 million in base salary. When healthy, he has been a starter for nearly all of that time with the Raiders and has made three Pro Bowls.
Carr was originally selected by the Raiders in the second round (36th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft and has thrown for 31,700 yards on 2,896-for-4,456 passing (65.0 percent) with 193 touchdowns for a 92.4 passer rating over his first eight seasons with the club.
Carr’s extension comes as the AFC West becomes even more competitive with the Denver Broncos signing QB Russell Wilson. bringing another star quarterback to the division. Carr has been an AFC starter longer than any other quarterback in the conference. He holds franchise records for passing yards (31,700), passing touchdowns (193), games with multiple-touchdown passes (59), games with a passer rating of at least 100 points (44) and 300-yard passing contests (31).
“Derek Carr has been the leader of this franchise for a long time and we are thrilled to continue that relationship moving forward,” said Raiders Head Coach Josh McDaniels.
“He has been a great example of someone who always puts the team first and we appreciate his desire to keep doing that while leading on and off the field. It is clear how much Derek cares about this organization, his teammates and winning. I look forward to the opportunity to work with him this season and beyond,” McDaniels said.
