Derek Carr signs $125 million contract with Raiders that will come with an interesting bonus when the team moves to Las Vegas

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June 22, 2017 4:05 PM

Derek Carr's $125 million contract with the Raiders will likely be back-loaded so he can make more in Las Vegas, where there is no state tax.

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The Oakland Raiders and Derek Carr have come to an agreement on a contract extension that will make him the highest-paid player in the NFL based on average salary, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport..

Albert Breer of the MMQB reported that the deal is worth $125 million over five years while ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday the deal is expected to pay an average of $25 million per year.

The yearly average pushes him just past Andrew Luck for the highest-paid player in the league.

CBS's Jason La Canfora broke down some the guarantees of the deal, which hints at having an added bonus for Carr:

Unlike many NFL contracts, Carr's seems to be back-loaded, giving him more money in the later years when the team moves to Las Vegas. Nevada has no state tax, allowing Carr to make more money on the backend of the deal than he would in Oakland when California has a relatively high state tax. Future Raiders free agents may benefit from the same idea when they negotiate new deals with the team.

As Rapoport notes, despite some minor squabbling from both sides, the Raiders knew they had to lock up their star quarterback with the move on the horizon. The team couldn't afford to move into an untested NFL market without the guarantee of a star. In 2016, Carr was considered an MVP candidate before breaking his leg, throwing over 3,900 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in 15 games.

Carr himself announced the deal on Twitter.

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