Some in the media were questioning why more teammates didn’t jump on social media to defend their quarterback against a report this week in The Athletic that Derek Carr is losing the confidence of the locker room.
On Wednesday, tight end Lee Smith spoke to the media and vigorously defended his quarterback and the state of the Raiders locker room.
“All these reports about this locker room being fractured (actually it was only one report) with Derek Carr is the most obnoxious and ridiculous thing I’ve heard ever,” Smith said. “It’s to the point to where it’s comical and laughable that I’m even sitting here talking about it. Us as players have zero issues with Derek Carr, he is our leader, he’s always been our leader, we put a ‘C’ on his chest for a reason along with Rodney Hudson. Regardless of what face he makes after a tackle or whatever everybody wants to dive into and wear him out about, attacking his character, attacking him as a leader on this football team is a joke.”
“Coach Gruden and Derek are going to take all the bullets. We’re 1-5, we’re not playing the football we want to play. Coach Gruden had a lot of expectations coming in. We had a lot of expectations coming in. I understand those two guys take most of the bullets and those two can definitely handle it. If anybody can handle it, it’s Derek Carr based off of the person he is and the character he has.”
#Raiders TE Lee Smith goes all in on reports Derek Carr has fractured relationship w/teammates backing up car and calling report a “joke”. pic.twitter.com/2ZUqrqpS4i
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) October 24, 2018
Safe to say, there are plenty in the locker room that support Carr. Furthermore, Smith addressed previous reports that political differences between the offensive line and Carr had caused problems in the locker room a year ago…
#Raiders TE Lee Smith on Derek Carr reports: “The attacking of our strongest leader & the strongest man in this locker room is absolute horse%*t.” pic.twitter.com/C9yqbwA3ik
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) October 24, 2018
twitter: @raidersbeat
Gruden must go. He is killing the raiders 😭🤕😤
Class act… what agreat dude! That’s what brotherhood / family looks like folks. #brotherlylove