Derek Carr’s ankle injury did not keep him out of Sunday’s win over the Steelers, but it has left doubt about his availability for the Raiders‘ Week 3 matchup against the Dolphins. Carr, who suffered the ankle injury during the second half on Sunday, finished the game throwing for 382 yards in the Raiders’ 26-17 win in Pittsburgh.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden labeled Carr as questionable for this Sunday’s game against Miami. He said that running back Josh Jacobs is “very questionable” for Sunday’s game. Jacobs was inactive for this past weekend’s game against the Steelers with toe and ankle injuries. Jacobs rushed for 34 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries in the Raiders’ Week 1 win over the Ravens.
While he did label Carr as questionable, Gruden is optimistic that his starting quarterback will be under center for Sunday’s game.
“I think he’s going to be able to play,” Gruden said, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Carr’s 2021 season is off to a sensational start. The three-time Pro Bowler has thrown for 817 yards thus far, the most in franchise history over a two-game span. He also has thrown four touchdowns against just one interception while helping the Raiders get off to a 2-0 start.
Carr initially sustained the injury after throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Foster Moreau. After being on the ground for several moments, Carr walked off the field under his own power. Later in the half, his 61-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III sealed the Raiders’ first win in Pittsburgh since 2009.
“I’ll just let his performance speak for itself,” Gruden said of Carr following Sunday’s win, via Tashan Reed of The Athletic. “I’ve been clamoring about Derek Carr since I’ve been here. Hopefully, he gets some recognition for doing what he did today. He had some long drives. He was big again at the end of the game against two great defenses two weeks in a row and it’s a big reason why we’ve been able to win.”
With Marcus Mariota on injured reserve, Nathan Peterman would be in line to start in the event Carr is unable to play. Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber will continue to handle the workload if Jacobs continues to miss time with his injuries. Barber led the Raiders with 32 yards on 13 carries on Sunday. Drake caught five of his six targets for 46 yards. He caught all five of his targets for 59 yards in the Raiders’ Week 1 win over the Ravens.
The Dolphins are also dealing with injury concerns at quarterback. Miami coach Brian Flores has labeled Tua Tagovailoa as day to day after the second-year quarterback sustained a rib injury during Sunday’s 35-0 loss to the Bills.
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