There always were questions surrounding the relationship of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and his quarterback Derek Carr. The two getting along was the main inquiry for those on the outside.
Former Raiders wide receiver Jordy Nelson (2018) said they get along just fine despite those negative rumors.
“I think their two demeanors and personalities might clash but they honestly get along great,” Nelson said in an interview with Pat McAfee. “I mean, it’s a good balance. There’s a couple of times when I was there they got a little fiery at each other, but you know, that happens with everyone. Especially when you’re coming right off the field. ... One thing I think that works great with those two, like I said earlier, Derek is extremely smart and puts in so much time and work that he can handle everything that Gruden’s throwing at him.”
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The 2014 Pro Bowl selection had enough experience across his 11 NFL seasons to notice how leaders get along. He played under Aaron Rodgers for a decade and they had a very strong connection, one that didn’t require words.
Carr always has believed the quarterback, in addition to the head coach, owner and general manager always need to be on the same page. That’s a lot of personalities needing to agree on something, so the clashing that would occur is no surprise.
Nelson wasn’t the only former teammate who noticed the chemistry between the QB and the coach.
Ex-Raider Darren Waller said in the past on the Raider Cody Podcast that he noticed it as well. He added he’s not sure why the relationship between the two gets so much hate and so much unneeded attention.
[RELATED: Nelson compares Carr's Raider time to Alex Smith 49ers' tenure]
Gruden has more of a personality, he’s animated. Carr has more of a calm demeanor. Those even one another out which typically equals success. Not to mention Carr has had to adjust to a different offense each season as opposed to other quarterbacks who run the same playbook year after year. This time around, he gets to stick to what he knows. At least when it comes to the playbook.
The Raiders will be hosting their home games in Southern Nevada at Allegiant Stadium after the team relocated to Las Vegas this offseason.