Carr acknowledges that the back injury he suffered in Week 4 of the 2017 campaign was something he had to contend with as the season progressed, CSN's Scott Bair reports. "I had to deal with it," Carr noted. "I had to do certain things to manage it, but I just didn't talk about it. I didn't want it to be an excuse."
After suffering three transverse process fractures in his back on Oct. 1, it was originally estimated that Carr would miss 2-to-4 weeks, but he only ended up sitting out one contest. Though it would be a stretch to say Carr's back issue was the only reason for his statistical regression in 2017, it certainly didn't help his cause. Looking ahead, Carr now has a full offseason to heal up, plus he's excited to work with a new head coach in Jon Gruden. Carr indicated that he wants Gruden to be tough on him, and we suspect his wish will be accommodated by the intense coach, who the signal-caller has known since the two filmed a Gruden QB Camp segment in 2014. It's also worth noting Gruden has a 10-year deal with the Raiders, which effectively ends the team's recent coaching carousel, and we'd expect the team to make some tweaks at the skill positions, possibly at running back, where Marshawn Lynch's 2018 status has yet to be cemented, according to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez.