Derek Carr hopes to prove he’s ready to play against Dolphins

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said Tuesday that he’s doing everything in his power to prove that he’s healthy enough to play Saturday against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.

Everything Carr has done this week — from stretching to throwing to treatment to walking to jogging to practicing — he’s made sure that coaches and medical staff are closely monitoring. Carr injured his groin in the first quarter of the Raiders’ Dec. 17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and didn’t return to the game.

“I want everybody watching so they know that I’m telling them exactly how I feel,” said Carr, who has missed only two regular-season games in seven NFL seasons because of injury.

Carr worked out on a limited basis Tuesday. He said he’s “feeling great” but added “I don’t know” when asked about his game-day status.

If he can’t play, Marcus Mariota will get the start. Mariota came off the bench to throw for 226 yards and run for 88 against the Chargers.

Carr said he was happy for Mariota.

“As a fan of his from afar, watching what he went through, I didn’t want to get hurt for it to have to happen, but I was happy to see him play and have success,” Carr said. “I know he had a long year with certain things that happened in Tennessee and with injuries, and I saw it on his face every day.”

That said, Carr desperately wants to play Saturday. But it won’t necessarily be his call.

“We’re going to be smart,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. “We got a training staff here. We listen to our players. We’ll do what we think is right for Derek and for our team, and I do admire his toughness and his will to compete.”

Carr said he’s OK with that.

“I think that the coaches and our trainers will make the right decision,” he said. “I’ve been completely honest with them the whole time about everything, and they’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve been in here every day that we’re allowed to get treatment.”

The thought of not playing the final two games eats at Carr — just as it did when he pulled up injured scrambling near the Chargers’ goal line. He could only watch as the Raiders lost for the fourth time in five games to drop to 7-7 and essentially fall out of playoff contention.

“My heart was ripped out of my chest,” Carr said. “It was a hard night for me. It was a hard couple days for me because of everything that has gone on with this team. I still felt that we had a chance to win 10 games and try to make the playoffs.”

It’s part of the reason he wants to play so badly. Securing a winning season won’t make up for falling short of the team’s goal of reaching the postseason, but it’s a step in the right direction for a franchise that has reached the playoffs once since 2002.

“He’s one of the premier competitors in the league, and it’s important to him,” Gruden said. “And, like I said, we’re emphasizing the word finish, and he wants to finish the job.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.