Carr on Mack trade: 'It isn't what anybody wanted'
It doesn't appear that Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will be getting over the Khalil Mack trade anytime soon.
In one of the most surprising trades in recent league history, the Raiders traded Mack to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a package that included two first-round picks. Mack was holding out in search of a massive contract extension and promptly received a six-year, $141 million extension with $90 million guaranteed upon being traded to the Bears.
Carr, who tweeted out his displeasure about the trade, doubled down on his comments Monday.
"It isn't what anybody wanted -- I think that's clear. But it is what it is -- it's part of the business," Carr said to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "It's one of those sucky things that happen. The hardest part for me is, obviously, you lose a good football player, but he's my brother, man. He's one of my best friends. I think the hardest part is, I don't get to see my friend every day."
Carr said his initial displeasure over the trade has subsided but admitted that it's still been a difficult time for himself and his teammates.
"I think, obviously, we had the day off that day and so that made it harder because I'm just sitting there thinking about it all day. Whereas now, I've got a job to do. Once we showed up and got to work, Coach addressed it with the team, said what he said, invited anyone who needed to talk to him, open door. He understood that a lot of us were close with him," Carr said.
"It didn't go away, because he's your buddy, but at the same time it went away because we have a game to get ready for."
Mack is one of the premier players in the NFL, winning 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, and hasn't missed a game in four seasons. If the Raiders struggle again in 2018, many will likely point to the Mack trade as a key reason why.
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