Getty Derek Carr & Darren Waller.
Over the past few years, quarterback Derek Carr and tight end Darren Waller were two of the faces of the Las Vegas Raiders. They will now be playing for new teams in 2023. Carr landed with the New Orleans Saints after getting cut by the Raiders in February while Waller was traded to the New York Giants for a 2023 third-round pick.
Despite the fact that the two are no longer on the Raiders, they are still spending some time in Las Vegas. According to a June 21 Instagram photo from Carr, he was working out with Waller in Las Vegas.
Carr and Waller formed a close connection during their times with the Raiders. In 2022, Waller set the franchise record for receptions in a season with 107 catches. Most of those catches came from Carr’s passes. Players don’t have to be close to their teams right now as training camp doesn’t start until the end of July. Many are on vacation ahead of the football season, but Waller and Carr are still putting in work.
Derek Carr & Darren Waller Don’t Plan to Leave Las Vegas
It’s not a surprise to see Carr and Waller in Las Vegas during the offseason. Though they aren’t on the Raiders, they still built homes in Sin City. Carr made a home with his family in the city. He previously said that he could see Las Vegas being where he spends the rest of his life with his family.
“My wife and I never thought this, but we were talking about how we could live here for the rest of our life,” Carr said in a 2021 appearance on “The Cris Collinsworth Podcast.” “We really love the city of Las Vegas because it’s more than the Strip and the partying and all that kind of stuff.
“The family atmosphere that happens around outside of all of that has really been awesome.”
Waller also still has strong ties to the city. His wife Kelsey Plum is a starting guard for the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA. He was recently in attendance for the Aces’ June 18 home match against the Minnesota Lynx. Though it won’t be as easy for him to attend Plum’s games once training camp starts, he’ll still be spending a lot of time in Las Vegas going forward.
Derek Carr Recently Acknowledged Disappointing Season
Derek Carr’s last season with the Raiders didn’t go to plan. After a 2021 playoff run where the team went 10-7, expectations were high for 2022. Carr ended up going 6-9 as a starter and was benched following a Week 16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers where he threw three interceptions. Carr recently acknowledged that his performance wasn’t up to his standard last season.
“I don’t think they got the best version of me,” Carr said during his June 13 media availability. “There was so much going on, and I didn’t really sit down and just make it football again. Football is the ultimate team game. It’s about your teammates, about loving one another, about having each other’s back and making sure there’s a certain level of respect between each other. … I’m just trying to be a better teammate every year.”
