INDIANAPOLIS -- Jon Gruden, like Mike Mayock, is tired of hearing the rumors about his quarterback.
Two days after Mayock defended Carr's play and pointed to an inability to score and defensive struggles as the reasons for the Raiders' overall issues -- not Carr -- Gruden echoed a similar sentiment when sitting down with The Athletic's Vic Tafur.
"Consistent on what I have said. I really think Derek is a heck of a player," Gruden said. "And I have a lot of respect for what he has done and with some tough circumstances. So I'm not going answer every media rumor out there -- just can't do it. I'm just going to listen to my Sirius rock 'n roll classic vinyl and keep working. But I love what Derek Carr did, love what he brings to our team and anxious to continue to build around him."
The quarterback put together his best statistical season of his career in 2019, posting his first passer rating over 100 and a career high in passing yards in 4,054. The Raiders still finished 7-9, though, and with a unique free-agent class at the quarterback position, speculation on Carr's standing and the team's future under center will likely continue until the dust settles in March. Whether that includes Carr remains to be seen, but for now, the team is giving no public indication it's looking for a better option.
