Raiders' Mark Davis Apologized to Derek Carr for 'Not Being Able to Get It Done'

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis divulged Monday that he apologized to former quarterback Derek Carr for the team's lack of success during his tenure.

In an interview with Tashan Reed of The Athletic, Davis put the blame on himself for the fact that the Raiders didn't accomplish more while Carr was in the fold, saying:

"You know, it's interesting with Derek. If you look at the last two head coaches that I hired, they're offensive geniuses. And that was, again, with the understanding that we had Derek Carr as the quarterback and that Derek could only benefit from knowledge from the two of them. So, having offensive coaches was really important to me in that regard. I tried to give them all the tools.

"As I told Derek, the only consistent thing with the Raiders for the last 11 years has been me. And the fact that we haven't won falls on me. There's no passing the buck or pointing the fingers: The buck stops here. And I apologized to him for not being able to get it done. That's how I feel."

Although Davis is blaming himself publicly, Carr did ultimately take the fall, as the Raiders benched him for the final two games of the 2022 regular season and then released him.

Carr, 32, had been with the Raiders since they selected him in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, and he spent nine seasons as the team's starting quarterback.

During that time, Carr became a four-time Pro Bowler and the Raiders' all-time leader in passing yardage (35,222) and passing touchdowns (217).

He went just 63-79 as a starter, though, and the Raiders made the playoffs only twice during his tenure, failing to win a single playoff game.

In their first season under head coach Josh McDaniels in 2022, the Raiders went a disappointing 6-11 despite making several big offseason moves, including acquiring star wide receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers.

While most of the same pieces will be in place in 2023, Carr won't be among them, as he signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency following his release.

The Raiders signed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as his replacement, giving McDaniels a quarterback he is familiar with from their time together with the New England Patriots.

While team success largely eluded Carr in Las Vegas and previously Oakland, he and the Saints are set to enter the 2023 campaign as the favorites in the NFC South.