Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie Wants To Lock-Up Derek Carr, Khalil Mack Sooner Rather Than Later

USA Today

The Oakland Raiders are a team on the rise in the NFL. After more than a decade of disappointment, the Raiders have a chance to be one of the league’s elite teams for many years to come with Derek Carr and Khalil Mack leading the way for the storied franchise.

The Raiders brass have both players under contract for one more season. Although the team has some time to lock-up both players to long-term deals, general manager Reggie McKenzie would prefer to do it sooner rather than later, via Jerry McDonald of The Mercury News:

“You could say that,” McKenzie said in a conference call with Bay Area reporters Thursday on the occasion of being named the Pro Football Writers of America Executive of the Year. “The good thing is we do have time, but I’m not the type to wait until the last minute.”

McKenzie knows the importance of keeping these two franchise players with the team long-term. Carr and Mack have improved from year to year and are now among the elite class at their respective positions, via McDonald:

“Those two guys are not only great players, but they’re great men and they are true Raiders and I want to make sure we do the best that we can to make sure they stay Raiders.”

Oakland’s season came to an unfortunate end losing to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card Game in convincing fashion. If Carr hadn’t have suffered a season-ending injury in Week 15 in the win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Raiders could’ve made a run in the postseason with a legitimate shot at reaching and winning the Super Bowl.