The Oakland Raiders have named rookie Derek Carr their starting quarterback, the team’s 18th different starting signal caller since 2003.
Carr will get the nod over veteran Matt Schaub, who is playing his first season in Oakland after spending the past seven seasons starting for the Houston Texans.
“Not an indictment on Matt Schaub, Derek Carr is mature beyond his years,” coach Dennis Allen said after Monday’s practice. “We feel very comfortable with him helping us win football games. … Derek is the starting quarterback.”
Carr, a second-round pick from Fresno State, completed of 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns, including two one-play touchdown passes in a 41-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the preseason finale for both.
Wide receiver Rod Streater, who has played with seven previous Raiders starting quarterbacks since his rookie season of 2012, praised Carr for what he’s done so far.
“He has been really consistent,” Streater said. “He keeps getting better.”
“Derek has grown [by] leaps and bounds,” Allen said. “He is ready to accept the challenge.”
Both quarterbacks have been banged up this preseason, with Carr suffering a concussion and a rib injury in one game and Schaub dealing with what the team has called a minor elbow issue.
Allen has said he wanted to wait to see how Schaub felt Monday before naming a starting a quarterback.
“Matt is disappointed but he has handled it like a pro,” Allen said.
Schaub last played in the team’s third preseason game where he went 13-for-27 and threw for 110 yards in a 31-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Schaub will be Carr’s backup with Matt McGloin serving as the team’s third-string quarterback. McGloin threw eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in seven games last season for the Raiders.
Carr is slated to be the only rookie quarterback to start Week 1. The Raiders open the season Sunday at the New York Jets.
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