Account
Raiders Rumors: Derek Carr's Presence Will 'Heavily' Impact Head Coach Search
January 12, 2022
As the Las Vegas Raiders prepare for this weekend's AFC Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team's impending search for a permanent head coach still looms large for this offseason.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is expected to have some influence in the team's decision on who ultimately gets hired.
"I'm told Derek Carr's presence will factor heavily into the thinking," Fowler wrote. "The Raiders are all-in on Carr as the franchise guy."
Las Vegas interim head coach Rich Bisaccia took over a 3-2 team when Jon Gruden resigned in the wake of leaked emails that revealed racist, sexist and anti-gay comments. Bisaccia navigated a season full of off-field turmoil to lead the Raiders to a 10-7 record and their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Carr threw for a career-high 4,804 yards in 2021 to go with 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. The Raiders ended the season on a four-game win streak.
Fowler noted that Carr's relationship with Bisaccia will warrant him consideration to be hired as head coach permanently.
"If he's vibing with Bisaccia—and by all accounts he is—that will be considered," Fowler wrote. "The question with Bisaccia becomes, would he be insulted if the Raiders tried to hit him with a short-term deal? That sometimes happens with interim-turned-full-time guys."
Fowler added that there is another name in the mix for the opening in Las Vegas: Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh. A decision on Harbaugh's end could come soon considering he will have to focus on recruiting if he chooses to stay with Michigan.
"I'm still watching the Harbaugh storyline carefully," Fowler wrote. "But because of recruiting concerns at Michigan, he might be running out of time. Who else makes sense here?"
Carr and the Raiders will take on Cincinnati on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. The two teams met in Week 11 of this season with the Bengals taking a 32-13 win at Allegiant Stadium.