Derek Carr injury update: Raiders quarterback leaves game with finger injury

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has been taken to the locker room with what appears to be a dislocated finger. 

The Oakland Raiders’ success this season can be attributed to the meteoric rise of quarterback Derek Carr. He has been nothing short of phenomenal this season and has a legitimate case to be the NFL MVP. However, against the Carolina Panthers, Carr appears to have hurt his finger. He has been taken to the locker room.

Fingers are not made to be in the position that we saw Carr’s finger bend. This happened on a failed snap, resulting in a fumble. Without Carr, the Raiders will likely have to turn to former Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin. Hopefully he isn’t too injured and he can get back to the game soon.

It’s hard to determine if his finger is dislocated, but that’s what appears to be the case with Carr. This is significant because virtually any other player might be able to play with the injury, even with some decrease in effectiveness. However, this is not the case with quarterbacks. They have to be able to grip the ball properly with all of their fingers. If they can’t, it’s extremely difficult for them to play. So this could be a long-term issue that keeps Carr out for at least a few weeks.

McGloin threw for 6,390 yards over his three years as the Nittany Lions’ starting quarterback. He had a lot of success in Bill O’Brien’s offense in 2013. However, he isn’t nearly as good of a fit in the Raiders vertical passing offense as Carr.

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Without their starting quarterback, Oakland will have to be much stronger defensively. Otherwise, the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs will be able to catch up to them in the standings.