Another day another bizarre story out of Oakland.
Less than 24 hours after trading wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys, Marcus Thompson of The Athletic dropped a report detailing how quarterback Derek Carr has lost the locker room to potentially “irreparable levels.”
Perhaps the most interesting anecdote as to why has to do with Carr’s reaction after being sacked in a 27-2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
“Raiders headquarters is not the best space for Carr. The belief in him has deteriorated, perhaps to irreparable levels. Team sources describe a fractured relationship between Carr and his teammates, mostly because confidence in him has waned. It certainly didn’t help when film showed what looked like him crying after being sacked and injuring his arm. They saw his face. They heard his whimper. They witnessed him explain on the sidelines. They assuredly watched it again in film session. It’s hard to see how Carr can lead this team again.”
Derek Carr reportedly "not the quarterback of the future" for #RaiderNation ?
His relationship with teammates "fractured" after film showed him crying following a sack ?
➡️ https://t.co/ejS8ryiPY4 pic.twitter.com/tGqrmL6QJe— Yahoo Sports NFL (@YahooSportsNFL) October 23, 2018
Instead of letting the report sit, Carr decided to comment on it via Twitter Tuesday, claiming that he didn’t shed any tears.
Don’t even waste your time with this big bro. On the ground I yelled get me up get me. Then I got to the sideline and yelled again. Not one tear. Not one time. There is the Truth. People will click on it because it sounds crazy. But stop playing with me.
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) October 23, 2018
I’m a Raider. It’s not a “popular” thing to be a Raider right now, but I am and I love it. I love the struggle of trying to fight back for our city when not a lot of people believe in us. People can try all they want to tear us apart, but it’s not happening to the real ones. ?
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) October 23, 2018
Head coach Jon Gruden said on Monday that the Raiders aren’t trading anyone else, but if the reports about Carr losing the locker room are true, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be gone soon.