Time to settle a debate in Raider Nation
This summer, Silver and Black Pride is putting together the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders All-Quarter Century Team for the 2000s with the help of our fan community. The process is simple, we’ll go through each position with a few nominees, outline the case for each player and include a poll at the bottom of each article where you can vote for your choice.
All the winners will be announced with a post for the entire All-Quarter Century team once each poll is completed.
Up first is a spirited debate within Raider Nation: Who was the Raiders’ best quarterback of the last 25 years, Rich Gannon or Derek Carr?
Rich Gannon
Raiders Stats: 62.6% completion percentage, 17,585 passing yards, 114 passing TDs, 50 INTs, 1,258 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns (6 seasons, 74 games)
Accolades: MVP (2002), 2x First-Team All-Pro (2000, 2002), 4x Pro Bowl (1999-2002)
In a way, Gannon embodied what it means to be a Raider. He was castaway by three other teams before joining the Silver and Black, and was on his last legs in the NFL when he headed to Oakland. Despite that, Gannon became the franchise’s most decorated quarterback of the last 25 years with the accolades mentioned above, and he led the organization to its most recent Super Bowl appearance. Granted, one of the Pro Bowl campaigns came outside of the 2000s, but the former MVP’s resume is pretty strong even without that All-Star appearance.
Derek Carr
Raiders Stats: 64.6% completion percentage, 35,222 passing yards, 217 passing touchdowns, 99 INTs, 845 rushing yards, 6 rushing TDs (9 seasons, 142 games)
Accolades: 4x Pro Bowl (2015-2017, 2022)
If we’re going by numbers, Carr is the clear choice as the franchise’s passing leader in yards and touchdowns. The Raiders cycled through several quarterbacks after Gannon retired, where it was rare if one player began and ended the season as the team’s starter. But the 2014 second-round pick from Fresno State put an end to that, serving as the Silver and Black’s starting QB for nearly a decade. Carr also helped end the longest playoff drought in franchise history (14 years) during the 2016 campaign, and led the team through the tumultuous 2021 season to make the postseason for a second time.
So, which quarterback are you going with for the Raiders’ 2000s All-Quarter Century Team?
Vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments section with your reasoning. If you don’t have a commenting account already, you’ll need to create one but the steps are pretty easy and it’s a seamless process. Also, we have full-time moderators to enforce the Community Guidelines. Sign up and go to the comments section.