It is not fair to compare Derek Carr to Peyton Manning because Manning got hurt late in his career. Manning had many surgeries to try to fix his neck, and it steadily got worse, primarily because he was old. Carr is a much younger man, but it is harder to imagine how he could have broken his neck with what was supposed to be a stellar offensive line. This young man has been put through the ringer the last two seasons, and he cannot be touched again if the Raiders want to have any sort of success at all.
The injury is supposed to be simple
The style of fracture in his neck is supposed to require a short recovery.
However, Breaking your neck sounds terrible. There is no amount of reporting that can make people think breaking your neck is alright. Football is very dangerous, and the break could be much worse the next time. Carr is a fairly young man with a wife and kids, and if I were his wife, I would be nervous. He will have to stand up for the rest of the season without ever going to the ground to be completely safe, but we all know that he will be sacked and tackled during the course of the season. He might recover well enough to bring the Raiders to the AFC title game and beyond.
The new neck brace
This column has reported on the Neck Brace that Luke Kuechly has been wearing since he was in college, and his high school currently uses the same brace.
It is supposed to stop people from having concussions, but maybe there is a neck brace that would act like the HANS device that is used in racing. Someone who is wearing a brace like this might be able to avoid neck injuries because their head does not slam on the ground, and that might be the only thing that can extend Carr's career.
I think he will recover, but I do worry about the next hit he takes that could be so much worse than the one he has already taken.
Should Raiders fans panic?
Raiders fans should panic only because Carr seems to get hurt a little more than he should, and that could signal trouble at the worst possible times. Carr could get hurt in the Super Bowl.
We just do not know. I am aware that the NFL is very violent, but this guy gets hurt more than most players. Yet, he plays the most protected position in the sport. The NFL has intentionally made the rules favorable for star passers, and Carr has now had his season ended late in the year and broken his neck. Is anyone else just a little bit concerned by that? I think that the Raiders need to change everything from the offense to the overall plan.
