Oakland Raiders shouldn’t rush Derek Carr back for Super Bowl

Derek Carr is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks with a broken fibula., but trying to return for the Super Bowl might be a mistake.

The Oakland Raiders suffered a blow to their Super Bowl chances last week with an injury to quarterback Derek Carr.

Carr, who has been in the NFL MVP discussion, broke his fibula in last week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. A six-to-eight week timetable is set for his return. If Carr plays his cards correctly, that time table would align with Super Bowl weekend. The Raiders would likely push for Carr to attempt to speed through his rehab and recovery period for a shot at a Super Bowl title.

But according to Ian Rappoport, that idea doesn’t seem realistic.

On one side, one can understand the Raiders organization potential push to try to get Carr healthy by Super Bowl Sunday. The Raiders have practically been dormant in the NFL; this season has been their first playoff birth since 2002. So it’s understandable that the organization doesn’t want this opportunity to pass them by without one of their best players. On the flip side, the goal for Carr is to recover 100 percent.

What will the Raiders do if Carr were to further injure his leg in rehab attempting to do more than what’s required? What will the Raiders do if Carr re-injured his leg in the Super Bowl? The Raiders must be prepared to answer those questions if they were to go in that direction.

What seems ideal is this; the Raiders should aim to capitalize on a potential first round bye by defeating the Denver Broncos next week. With a bye, they get an extra week to prepare for their upcoming divisional match-up. Also, rallying around their new quarterback in Matt McGloin, could also be a smart thing, too.

But it’s best to let Carr recover and get him ready for 2017.