The then Oakland Raiders were bound for the NFL Playoffs during the 2016 campaign when starting QB Derek Carr injured his ankle during a home game late in the season.
After the injury occurred, Carr had to find a way to leave the field, and he did so by getting on a cart.
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Some people may find it a bit peculiar however that the former Pro Bowler was then placed in the front seat of the cart given he had just suffered an ankle injury.
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Carr recalled this unexpected moment when he was on the “3 & Out With John Middlekauff” podcast and he shared that, despite the injury, the unique experience you get when playing at Oakland Coliseum as a Raider still made the cart incident a memorable one as well.
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"It was a complete Oakland Raider experience."@DerekCarrQB tells @JohnMiddlekauff the HILARIOUS reason as to why he sat in the front of the cart when he injured his ankle in 2016. pic.twitter.com/X6aBcGY7OO
— 3 & OUT with John Middlekauff (@3andout_pod) March 5, 2026
“So, if I were to go in the back of the cart, the way that they have to drive out of the Oakland Coliseum is a very steep hill,” Carr said to Middlekauf.
“They were scared I was going to fall out and that the cart can’t make it up with the weight being in the back.
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“And so that’s why I got in the front. Because of the Coliseum and our cart didn’t have enough juice, and the hill was way too steep.”
Dec 15, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) regains his footing after the Jacksonville Jaguars were penalized for a late hit on the quarterback in the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
There’s nothing like the ‘Black Hole’
One of the things about the whole experience that stood out the most for Carr was the passion and fanatical energy of Raiders fans.
“And the best part about it is we drive out right. So, I get hurt. Well they’re not thinking, people are leaving the stadium…we’re (driving) out, we’re in the parking lot. We’re not even in the stadium anymore,” he explained.
“We’re driving through the ‘Black Hole’ parking lot. People are slapping my shoulder pads ‘Oh, it’s going to be okay, you’re fine.’”
“My ankle’s just flopping,” Carr said as he laughed. “So, it was a complete Oakland Raider experience.”
Dec 15, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) greets fan Mark Acasio aka Gorilla Rilla in the Black Hole after the Raiders final game at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum against the Jacksonville Jaguars before relocating to Las Vegas for the 2020 season. The Jaguars defeated the Raiders 20-16. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oakland would end up losing to the Houston Texans by a score of 27-14 when they faced off in the postseason.
There has also been some talk that the 34 year old Carr would potentially be open to coming out of retirement to return to the NFL. Although he has also said that he would ultimately only do so if he can play for a team that has a realistic chance of claiming a Super Bowl.
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