There will be a rookie starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season: Oakland’s Derek Carr.
Carr will replace Matt Schaub for Sunday’s road game against the New York Jets, FOX Sports has learned. Raiders players were informed of head coach Dennis Allen’s decision on Monday afternoon.
Schaub started Oakland’s first three preseason contests but sat out last Thursday’s game against Seattle and has recently suffered from elbow tendonitis. That opened the door for Carr, who completed 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns against the Seahawks — albeit in a matchup featuring mostly backups and no game-planning.
Carr had missed Oakland’s third preseason game because of sore ribs. He also had suffered a concussion in the second preseason contest. Carr, though, had looked impressive enough at training camp to push Schaub for the starting job.
Schaub was acquired in March from Houston for a 2014 sixth-round pick with the intention that he would open the season under center. But that didn’t keep the Raiders from planning for the future by making Carr the 36th overall selection in May’s draft.
Obviously, the future is now.
Until the Carr promotion, the regular-season was set to open without a rookie starting quarterback for the first time since 2007.
In his collegiate career, Carr threw for 12,843 yards and 113 touchdowns in 43 games at Fresno State. He led the Bulldogs to an 11-2 record last season.