The Raiders have had a lot of ups and downs over the last couple seasons. Well, mostly downs, I suppose. The Jon Gruden experiment didn't pan out. The team's first-round picks have really not panned out. There's not been a lot of consistency for the Raiders recently... except at quarterback.

Derek Carr has been the face of the franchise since drafted in 2014, and just this offseason, Las Vegas compensated him big time. Now we ask ourselves — did this three-year, $121.5 million deal make Carr the most overpaid mediocre quarterback in the league?

Now, here's the issue with Carr as a franchise quarterback: he's good. Normally, that's a plus. But he's good (most of the time)... not great. This year, he's averaging just 232 pass yards and just over a touchdown per game. Hell, he's got a worse passer rating than Falcons QB Marcus Mariota. Now, the team heads into Week 9 at 2-5... and very much in play for a top-five pick in 2023.

Since being drafted by the team back in 2014, he's got a 59-75 record and just two seasons above .500. Among active quarterbacks, he ranks 16th in career-passer rating, 22nd in touchdown rate and 27th in yards per pass attempt. He's fine. This organization needs more than fine, though. Especially for what they're paying him.

Carr's offseason extension made him the seventh-highest-paid player in the NFL (average annual salary). Is he worth it? The Raiders will have to ask themselves that very question. If the team moves on via trade or release, the team will save themselves just under $30 million next season alone.