Eight months after injury, is Carr finally going to get in game?
The way coach Jack Del Rio sees it, he would like to play his Oakland Raiders starters through at least the first quarter of Saturday night’s exhibition against the Los Angeles Rams.
That includes prize quarterback Derek Carr, who hasn’t seen game action since a season-ending leg injury near the end of 2016.
How about into the second quarter? That’s possible, too.
“Not really set on that yet,” Del Rio said. “Typically, you go into the second quarter, maybe even deep into the second quarter. We’ll see how it’s all going. Kind of a play total in mind in terms of conditioning that I think we need to get. We’ll adjust as we need to, but that’s the plan.”
Specifically asked if the plan includes Carr, the thirdyear Raiders’ coach said “Yes.”
There’s no reason to put Carr at unnecessary risk in an exhibition, but at the same time there’s no doubt he needs the work with the regular-season opener — Sept. 10 at Tennessee — less than a month away. It has been eight months, after all, since the ex-Fresno State star suffered a broken right fibula in a Christmas Eve game against the Indianapolis Colts. And the impact of that injury can’t be overstated.
From there, the Raiders lost two straight and their season was over, the final blow a 27-14 loss to the Houston Texans in Oakland’s first playoff appearance since 2002.
Carr had surgery and rehabbed, however, and by the time organized team activities rolled around, he was fully cleared by the medical staff. He was a full go for the mandatory mini-camp and has participated without any obvious limitations throughout training camp. But he sat out the Raiders’ first exhibition game.
At camp Thursday, he even had a little fun with that right leg when, soccer style, he used his foot to collect a tipped ball in the corner of the end zone, kicked it up and then grabbed it in midair.
The Raiders broke camp in Napa, play the Rams on Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum and next week will resume practice in Alameda.