The Oakland Raiders' 1-5 start in Jon Gruden's second act isn't good, but it's nothing to cry about. And Derek Carr is denying he shed any tears on the field during the Raiders' loss to the Seattle Seahawks before their bye week. The veteran quarterback was under fire after a report from The Athletic suggested Carr had lost the team. Carr looked pretty miserable in the clip that made the rounds: From The Athletic: Carr jumped to his own defense Tuesday on Twitter, saying there was no crying in football. "Not one tear" this time, anyway. Don’t even waste your time with this big bro. On the ground I yelled get me up get me. Then I got to the sideline and yelled again. Not one tear. Not one time. There is the Truth. People will click on it because it sounds crazy. But stop playing with me. — Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) October 23, 2018 And then he stood up for the embattled franchise that has traded away former cornerstones Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper in the season's first two months, in addition to other personnel moves that have left many NFL pundits scratching their heads. Meanwhile, Carr has just seven TDs and eight INTs this season.<doc-sep>Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to proclaim he wasn’t crying after hurting his arm against Seattle, despite the video clip all over social media that some think suggests otherwise. Both Carr and the Raiders have struggled this season, most recently during a 27-3 loss to the Seahawks on Oct. 14 in London. Carr had to leave the game midway through the fourth quarter with an apparent left arm injury after being sacked for the sixth time. A video of Carr’s on-field reaction to that sack quickly made the rounds on social media. Advertisement That video, and the claim that it showed Carr crying on the field, was mentioned in an article published by the Athletic that claimed the Raiders players’ belief in Carr “has deteriorated, perhaps to irreparable levels” and that “it’s hard to see how Carr can lead this team again.” The Athletic article was aggregated by Pro Football Talk. That piece caught the eye of Carr’s brother, Darren Carr, who tweeted that it was “#FakeNews” and listed all the injuries his younger brother endured during the Seahawks game. Hit 16 times in that game Broken Pinky Finger (Throwing Hand) Sprained Thumb (Throwing Hand) Knee Sprain MCL Grade 2 High Ankle Sprain Grade 3 Concussion Grade 1 Chest / Ribs Bruised 3 Broken Bones in his Back Broken Fibula Bone in Leg 2 Missed Games (because they made him) — Darren Carr (@DCarr75) October 23, 2018 Derek Carr responded to his brother’s tweet Tuesday, saying that he was yelling, not crying, after the sack. “Not one tear,” he wrote. “Not one time.” Don’t even waste your time with this big bro. On the ground I yelled get me up get me. Then I got to the sideline and yelled again. Not one tear. Not one time. There is the Truth. People will click on it because it sounds crazy. But stop playing with me. — Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) October 23, 2018 Carr also tweeted: “I’m a Raider. It’s not a ‘popular’ thing to be a Raider right now, but I am and I love it. I love the struggle of trying to fight back for our city when not a lot of people believe in us. People can try all they want to tear us apart, but it’s not happening to the real ones.” Advertisement I’m a Raider. It’s not a “popular” thing to be a Raider right now, but I am and I love it. I love the struggle of trying to fight back for our city when not a lot of people believe in us. People can try all they want to tear us apart, but it’s not happening to the real ones. 💀 — Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) October 23, 2018 charles.schilken@latimes.com Twitter: @chewkiii<doc-sep>The hits just keep on coming for Derek Carr — and he hasn't even played a football game in nine days. Monday, after his club reconvened following its bye week, the Raiders quarterback watched his No. 1 receiver, Amari Cooper, whisked off the practice field after being traded to the Cowboys. Tuesday, Carr was compelled to defend himself from a report, via The Athletic, alleging the three-time Pro Bowler has a "fractured relationship" with teammates. That assessment stems from unnamed sources contending confidence inside Raiders HQ is waning in Carr, apparently exacerbated by perceptions he was crying on the field in Oakland's Week 6 loss to Seattle after his non-throwing arm was damaged. More:Dallas Cowboys can't count on Amari Cooper to be a cure-all for offense More:NFL trade targets: Patrick Peterson, Demaryius Thomas among 16 players with buzz More:NFL power rankings: Raiders looking up at everyone else Carr isn't having it. He sent a tweet in response to older brother Darren, who listed out the various injuries Carr has dealt with, and ProFootballTalk on Tuesday morning, saying: "Don’t even waste your time with this big bro. On the ground I yelled get me up get me. Then I got to the sideline and yelled again. Not one tear. Not one time. There is the Truth. People will click on it because it sounds crazy. But stop playing with me." Carr followed up with another tweet, further clarifying his dedication to Raider Nation and his locker room even as his 1-5 team's season circles the drain. "I’m a Raider. It’s not a 'popular' thing to be a Raider right now, but I am and I love it," Carr wrote. "I love the struggle of trying to fight back for our city when not a lot of people believe in us. People can try all they want to tear us apart, but it’s not happening to the real ones." The whole thing seems a little dubious given Carr has historically had the backing from his teammates, especially key leaders ... like former Raider Khalil Mack, still a good friend of the quarterback's. Carr, who has also played hurt on more than one occasion, has struggled (8 INTs, 89.4 passer rating) in Year 1 under Jon Gruden, but he's part and parcel of a franchise in the midst of a reboot. And Gruden certainly seems to support him even as trade rumors will inevitably now spring up on the hot take circuit. "He is the strength of this football team," Gruden said of his QB last week. "He is on my watch. I said it when I got here, if he doesn't play well, I've failed." *** Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis<doc-sep>
Another day another bizarre story out of Oakland. Less than 24 hours after trading wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys, Marcus Thompson of The Athletic dropped a report detailing how quarterback Derek Carr has lost the locker room to potentially “irreparable levels.” Perhaps the most interesting anecdote as to why has to do with Carr’s reaction after being sacked in a 27-2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Via Thompson: “Raiders headquarters is not the best space for Carr. The belief in him has deteriorated, perhaps to irreparable levels. Team sources describe a fractured relationship between Carr and his teammates, mostly because confidence in him has waned. It certainly didn’t help when film showed what looked like him crying after being sacked and injuring his arm. They saw his face. They heard his whimper. They witnessed him explain on the sidelines. They assuredly watched it again in film session. It’s hard to see how Carr can lead this team again.” Derek Carr reportedly "not the quarterback of the future" for #RaiderNation 😓 His relationship with teammates "fractured" after film showed him crying following a sack 😢 ➡️ https://t.co/ejS8ryiPY4 pic.twitter.com/tGqrmL6QJe — Yahoo Sports NFL (@YahooSportsNFL) October 23, 2018 Instead of letting the report sit, Carr decided to comment on it via Twitter Tuesday, claiming that he didn’t shed any tears. Don’t even waste your time with this big bro. On the ground I yelled get me up get me. Then I got to the sideline and yelled again. Not one tear. Not one time. There is the Truth. People will click on it because it sounds crazy. But stop playing with me. — Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) October 23, 2018 I’m a Raider. It’s not a “popular” thing to be a Raider right now, but I am and I love it. I love the struggle of trying to fight back for our city when not a lot of people believe in us. People can try all they want to tear us apart, but it’s not happening to the real ones. 💀 — Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) October 23, 2018 Head coach Jon Gruden said on Monday that the Raiders aren’t trading anyone else, but if the reports about Carr losing the locker room are true, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be gone soon.