The past 14 months have been quite the whirlwind for Derek Carr.
The Raiders' four-game winning streak to secure an AFC wild-card spot, the Jon Gruden controversy, and the Bengals' dramatic playoff loss were all noteworthy events.
Following that, Josh McDaniels was hired by Las Vegas, the Raiders acquired Davante Adams through trade, and Carr agreed to a three-year agreement worth $121.5 million.
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But with the Raiders dropping to 6-9 this year, Carr struggling — his emotions boiling over after a defeat to the Colts — and now being benched with two games left, it feels like ages ago.
A career is worth that.
"There's a lot to be sorted through once the season is over," McDaniels said Wednesday after announcing Jarrett Stidham would replace Carr for the remainder of the regular season.
Even with Carr signing the extension, moving on from him -- either by trading him (he does have a no-trade clause) or straight up releasing him shortly after the Super Bowl -- wouldn't cripple the Raiders financially. Perhaps benching Carr right now allows Vegas to showcase his availability a bit early, giving teams the opportunity to discuss the three-time Pro Bowler as a trade option before the wave of offseason moving and shaking. If no quality offers materialize, the Raiders can just cut bait with a manageable dead-money hit.
Let's try to look forward to the offseason, which is sure to feature another game of QB musical chairs, to figure out what Carr's next landing spot might be -- if, of course, he doesn't ultimately end up staying put in Las Vegas.
But that feels like eons ago now, with the Raiders slipping to 6-9 this season, Carr struggling -- with his emotions overflowing following a loss to the Colts -- and now getting benched with two games remaining.
That's a career's worth of drama for some players.
What's next for Carr? Surely, this feels like a precursor to Carr relocating in the offseason.
"There's a lot to be sorted through once the season is over," McDaniels said Wednesday after announcing Jarrett Stidham would replace Carr for the remainder of the regular season.
Even with Carr signing the extension, moving on from him -- either by trading him (he does have a no-trade clause) or straight up releasing him shortly after the Super Bowl -- wouldn't cripple the Raiders financially. Perhaps benching Carr right now allows Vegas to showcase his availability a bit early, giving teams the opportunity to discuss the three-time Pro Bowler as a trade option before the wave of offseason moving and shaking. If no quality offers materialize, the Raiders can just cut bait with a manageable dead-money hit.
Let's try to look forward to the offseason, which is sure to feature another game of QB musical chairs, to figure out what Carr's next landing spot might be -- if, of course, he doesn't ultimately end up staying put in Las Vegas.
You know the deal: Zach Wilson has been benched, and Mike White is again the rescue starter at QB. But White is also a free agent-to-be, so it’s no guarantee he’ll be back. The Jets have been connected to other veteran QBs, such as Jimmy Garoppolo, which would make sense. But if Carr is available -- and especially if the Raiders might be interested in Wilson -- it’s a pairing you certainly can’t look past. The Jets have some budding weapons; now they just need to figure out their long-term QB.
The QB forecast in New Orleans is rather unclear now, as Andy Dalton has played respectably well following Jameis Winston’s back injury. But Dalton is a pending free agent, and Winston is a candidate to be cut. Assuming Taysom Hill isn’t suddenly a starter candidate (again), the Saints will need to go out and get someone -- and do so with salary-cap issues and no first-round pick. Their financial situation makes a QB of Carr’s statue trickier to project as a strong possibility. But if the Raiders end up cutting Carr, New Orleans might be able to find a way to make it work.
On the one hand, the Colts going the veteran route at quarterback would be predictable, as they’ve not used a Day 1 or 2 pick on one since Andrew Luck, and have since patched the Luck-sized hole at the position with veteran signings or trades. But look how that’s worked out for them. Assuming they bring in some new blood in 2023, the Colts will be starting their eighth different QB since Luck retired. Carr would be somewhere between Carson Wentz and Philip Rivers on the risk scale, but they’d likely have to offer something in a trade to land him. From the outside looking in, depending on who the head coach is next season, Indianapolis might not be the most attractive spot for a veteran quarterback to choose.
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