Derek Carr Says Raiders Contract Structured to Give Team Chance to Keep Stars

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said Friday the contract extension he signed this week to make him the highest-paid player in the NFL was structured to help the team re-sign other stars in the future.

Conor Orr of NFL.com passed along comments Carr made at a press conference after inking the five-year, $125 million deal to remain with the Raiders through 2022.

"We figured out a way to do it so that we have the opportunity to sign the other guys that I think are important to this organization," he said. "That was really important to me. Not to just take every single dime that we could. I hope that that's known. Obviously, the position that I play, it has to be around a certain number. It just is what it is. At the same time, I told (my agent), if we can structure it in a way to help the Raiders get the other guys, give them an opportunity to come in, that that would be really important to me too."

Edge rusher Khalil Mack, the 2016 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year, offensive guard Gabe Jackson and veteran safety Reggie Nelson are among the high-profile Raiders who will require new deals in the foreseeable future.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie wouldn't provide exact details about how Carr's deal will help them with those other extensions, though.

"The bottom line is, we're able to move forward to keep all the players we need to keep in the correct timing," he said, per NFL.com. "This affords us to do that. We'll start on that ASAP."

Carr has emerged as one of the league's top quarterbacks. After a lackluster rookie campaign in 2014, he's combined to throw 60 touchdowns and 19 interceptions over the past two years. His completion rate has steadily increased from 58.1 percent to 63.8 percent over his three NFL seasons.

In turn, the Raiders have transformed back into an AFC contender. They went 12-4 last season to earn their first playoff appearance since 2002. They lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round with Carr sidelined due to a broken fibula, though.

The 26-year-old Fresno State product knows the title of highest-paid player rarely lasts long in the NFL, where every monster deal just sets the baseline for the next one. But he noted during the press conference getting the deal in place so he could focus on football was important.

"I don't care if they all do, we got our contract done, that's all that matters to me," Carr said. "The only thing that was important to me—we weren't going to worry about what other people were doing or have done. I just wanted to get mine done and, like we talked about, make sure the team had the flexibility to make sure my friends stay around."

Carr and the Raiders are scheduled to kick off the preseason against the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 12 and will open the regular season against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 10.