Carr has chip on shoulder: 'No one thinks anything of' Raiders in 2022

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr doesn't think his team is getting enough respect ahead of the 2022 season.

"It's going to be fun," Carr recently said, according to The Athletic's Vic Tafur. "No one thinks anything of us, and I think that's what makes it fun is you always have to put the ball down and play the football games."

The AFC West became the NFL's most anticipated division due to a series of blockbuster moves. Among several transactions throughout the offseason, the Denver Broncos landed quarterback Russell Wilson in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks, the Los Angeles Chargers bolstered their defense with pass-rusher Khalil Mack and cornerback J.C. Jackson, and Las Vegas acquired All-Pro receiver Davante Adams and edge rusher Chandler Jones.

The Broncos, Chargers, and Raiders upgraded their rosters as they try to dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs, who've won the AFC West in each of the last six seasons. Kansas City also made additions in free agency, though the team lost two cornerstones in wide receiver Tyreek Hill and safety Tyrann Mathieu.

"You get frustrated when you see other people's names on things and this and that," Carr said. "And you're like, 'We're here, too. We feel like we got better, too.' I thought we made the playoffs. … It doesn't guarantee anything this year, but it does guarantee that we have some good guys.

He added: "We've got a chip on our shoulder like always. And as Raiders, I think that's how we should have it. And we're excited to compete against the best. ... It's going to be fun playing against these teams, against some of the best quarterbacks in the game. And that's what you look forward to. That's what you want to sign up for."

The Raiders finished second in the AFC West last year with a 10-7 record and made the playoffs before losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the wild card.