Raiders helped name quarterback A.J. McCarron’s newborn son
ALAMEDA, Calif. — A healthy discussion is natural inside an NFL quarterback room, where such topics as scripted plays for a game, ideal route combinations against specific coverages and an opponent’s blitz tendencies are to be expected.
This season, A.J. McCarron posed a topic to the room.
His son needed a middle name.
McCarron returned to practice Friday after the Tuesday birth of his second child. Rather than board a return flight to Oakland after Sunday’s game in Cincinnati, he traveled to Mobile, Alabama, so he could be at his wife’s side. He missed one practice on Thursday.
From afar, the Raiders were part of the process.
Their input influenced the birth certificate.
“We were kind of deciding, me and the wife, on Cash Lawson McCarron or Cash Carter, and let the QB room vote on it,” McCarron said Friday. “It was me, (Derek Carr), (offensive coordinator Greg Olson) and (quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan). So we just took a vote. Everyone thought Carter was awesome, so we went with Cash Carter. It was unanimous.”
Cash is one of two sons for McCarron and wife Katherine Webb-McCarron.
McCarron expressed appreciation to the Raiders’ organization for supporting his desire to be in Alabama. The team kept an open line of communication with him, he said, and told him in advance that it would sign a quarterback to run the scout team.
That quarterback turned out to be Nathan Peterman, his former Buffalo Bills teammate with whom he competed this offseason. McCarron said the two are “friends” but acknowledged the recrossing of paths is a “weird part of the league.”
That the Raiders supported his desire to be in Alabama avoided some drama.
“I was going home regardless,” McCarron said with a laugh. “I ain’t going to miss my son’s birth. (Coach Jon) Gruden and them were great, whatever I needed. … It was an awesome experience like always, being there. Just seeing my beautiful wife be awesome like she always is, it was just great. It really is special. Words really can’t describe it.
“It just lets you know how much of a miracle birth is and how amazing the good Lord is to be able to let another human grow inside of another human and come out with two eyes, two ears, both hands, all the fingers, both feet, all his toes. Healthy. It was just awesome. It’s special, for sure.”
Notable
— Defensive tackle Mo Hurst Jr. (ankle) and cornerback Daryl Worley (shoulder) continue to capitalize on a long week, resting injuries they’ve dealt with for an extensive period. Neither practiced Friday. The Raiders will practice once more on Saturday before Monday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
— NFL Films was in the Raiders’ locker room Friday, conducting its annual top 100 player poll. When two players were asked separately whom they voted as the league’s No. 1 player, both said “Khalil” in reference to former Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack. He was traded to the Chicago Bears on Sept. 1.
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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
