Will all that “Tebowmania” or “Timsanity” going on with the Jets, it’s probably gone under the radar that the Giants re-signed their back-up quarterback, David Carr; but the career of the 32-year old former number one overall pick is worth a closer look.
Carr was a standout in college at Fresno State University, especially his senior season in 2001 where he threw for 4,830 yards and tossed 46 touchdowns with only 9 interceptions. His outstanding season won him the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award and lots of looks from NFL scouts.
Enter the expansion Houston Texans, who are in need of a quarterback to lead the new franchise into the future. They had their choice of Carr and Joey Harrington, and with the number one overall pick in 2002, the Texans selected Carr.
Things looked good in Week 1 of that season, as Carr led the Texans to a 19-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Things looked promising except for the fact that Houston had one of the worst, if not the worst, offensive lines in the league that year, as Carr was sacked an NFL single season record 76 times. As the Texans looked to improve in the next few seasons, continuously poor offensive lines and injuries hampered Carr’s production and ultimately the Texans decided to go in a different direction and traded for then-Falcons-backup quarterback Matt Schuab, thus making Carr a big time bust.
Carr signed with the Carolina Panthers in 2007 and played when starter Jake Delhomme went down. Carr was ok, but got hurt himself in his fifth game and didn’t play again that season.
Carr then signed with the Giants and was on the team for the 2008 and 2009 seasons and then signed on with the 49ers for one year before returning to New York for the 2011 season. Even though he was a back-up, David Carr has a Super Bowl ring from the Giants win in Super Bowl XLVI.
Right now, Carr knows his role as the back-up quarterback, which is to be ready to run the same exact offense if Eli Manning ever goes down. The problem across town is that Tim Tebow is basically looked at as a possible replacement for Mark Sanchez, and a Wildcat option, not a true back-up. Rex Ryan has already stated he’ll have plays ready for Tebow, up to 20 snaps per game. What does this mean to an already shaky Sanchez? Only time will tell.
Carr is a true back-up Quarterback. He’s someone that Tom Coughlin knows can go into a game and help the team win if Manning gets injured, not someone who has to run a different offense. With all the hype over Tebow, don’t forget about the real backup quarterback in New York, and he plays for the World Champion New York Giants.
By Mike Kane
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