"Haven't reached out" - Derek Carr opens up about where he stands with Henry Ruggs III following accident
Henry Ruggs III entered the weekend as possibly the next budding star of an NFL franchise. At the end of the weekend, the young receiver was sitting in a courtroom awaiting judgment for a DUI charge that resulted in a death.
According to Sports Illustrated, Ruggs was reportedly driving 156 miles per hour when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the back of a Toyota Rav 4 which carried a 23 year-old female driver and her dog. The receivers' bail was set at $150,000 and he's required to be electronically monitored.
His next court date is on November 10.
Derek Carr on Henry Ruggs III
On the night of the crash, before the incident took place, quarterback Derek Carr had texted with Ruggs. Ruggs sent out texts to him and fellow receiver Hunter Renfrow while at Top Golf around midnight.
He jokingly asked Carr for golf swing tips. When Carr woke up in the morning, he saw the news about the crash. Speaking to the media, Carr said he hasn't reached out to the receiver since the incident.
Raiders QB Derek Carr said he’ll be there for now former teammate Henry Ruggs, if needed, following his fatal DUI crash. #vegas #raiders #raidernation 🎥 @raiders https://t.co/x9b2g5jtle
"I haven't reached out, I will always be here for him," Carr said. "That won't change, and I'll prove that over the course of time to him...He needs people to love him right now. He's probably feeling a certain type of way about himself right now, and he needs to be loved. And if no one else will do it, I'll do it."
Derek Carr had to step up as a leader in 2021 after news broke about Jon Gruden's emails. With an interim head coach in place, Carr may be the most legitimate leader of the team this season.
As such, it seems the team may be looking to him to help guide the 5-2 team through what has been a roller coaster of a season.
Police markings stretch hundreds of feet on Rainbow at the Henry Ruggs crash site, with small smashed car parts and glass littered throughout the scene. #vegas #raiders https://t.co/KFiMAu4CpV
Since releasing Henry Ruggs III, the Las Vegas Raiders have only three active receivers on the depth chart. It will be up to Derek Carr to continue to steer the team through an unorthodox season in which the perennial leader Kansas City Chiefs have stumbled.
In Ruggs' absence, tight end Darren Waller will have to carry even more of the offensive workload.
In addition, the current three receivers on the team will need to step up to help overcome the loss of Ruggs. The Las Vegas Raiders face the New York Giants this weekend and will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football in Week 10.