Derek Carr’s Benching Means The Las Vegas Raiders Will Finally Move On From Veteran QB

It looks like the Las Vegas Raiders are finally moving on from their franchise quarterback.

As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported prior to the team’s game versus the San Francisco 49ers, Carr will sit out the remaining two games of the season, with career backup Jarrett Stidham finishing out the season as the starter. The benching has nothing to with any current injuries — it has everything to do with preserving Carr’s value entering the offseason.

The Raiders are clearly at a crossroads of their franchise as they explore which direction they’re heading into. At 6-9, Las Vegas is technically still in the AFC playoff race, but it would take a miracle for them to get in. The fact that they’re benching their star quarterback when they’re mathematically still alive in the playoff race says everything you need to know.

It’s clear that the franchise is moving in a different direction as they look to preserve the health of their 31-year-old quarterback.

Although Carr signed a three-year, $121.5 million contract extension last offseason, he could be cut within three days of the Super Bowl for a miniscule $5.625 million salary cap hit. As noted by ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez, his $32.9 million salary for next year and $7.5 million of his salary in 2024 would have become guaranteed had he become injured. In other words, the Raiders are holding out Carr for the last two games of the season so they can move him.

The move isn’t exactly surprising. The Raiders have given Carr nine years to “resurrect” the franchise. And while a lot of Las Vegas’ shortcomings is due to the organization itself — prior to Carr’s arrival in 2014, they had suffered through 11 consecutive losing seasons — there’s little doubt that Carr has struggled during the 2022 season. Making matters worse is the fact that Carr has struggled despite the addition of arguably the league’s best receiver in Davante Adams.

The reunion of Carr and Adams — college teammates at Fresno State — was supposed to lead to the Raiders emerging as a contender in Josh McDaniels’ first season as head coach. Instead, the Raiders have produced a mediocre record after blowing multiple leads throughout the season.

And while the defense is a big reason for that — they’re allowing 23.3 points per game, ranking 23^rd in the NFL — Carr has struggled drastically this season. The veteran quarterback leads the league with 14 interceptions and he ranks 25^th of 33 qualified passers, according to Pro Football Reference.

While Carr has been up-and-down much of his career, he remains one of the more intriguing quarterbacks in the league. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback once placed third in MVP voting during the 2016 season and his career averages — as Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd points out — puts many of his rivals to shame.

“Take out the Derek Carr rookie season (most QB’s overwhelmed & struggle) and his career averages — 25 TD 11 INT, 4,000 yards, 93.8 passer rating, 65 completion percentage,” said Cowherd. “Most years dealing w a coaching change or an impending coaching change. Yeah, I think he would help the Jets.”

There won’t be any shortage of trade options for Carr, especially when you factor in that his average annual salary of $40 million over the next three seasons isn’t exactly egregious, ranking seventh among current quarterbacks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans are among the top possible options for Carr.

It’s unclear who the Raiders’ next franchise quarterback will be, but it’s not as if they’ll be lacking options either. Tom Brady has been frequently linked to the Raiders due to his relationship with his former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Las Vegas could also target veteran free agents such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Geno Smith.

The Raiders’ failures in recent years are an organizational problem, not Carr’s. But it’s also become clear that Las Vegas — even after giving Carr all the necessary parts — aren’t going anywhere with him as the franchise quarterback.

Moving on from Carr will likely be met with a mixed reception. But it’s a necessary move as the Raiders attempt to build an annual playoff contender during the McDaniels era.