Davante Adams is going to have to find another Hall of Fame quarterback.
After Derek Carr's late-season benching, it was clear he and the Raiders were hurtling towards a split. Las Vegas took some big swings this offseason to try to catch up to the Chiefs, but like the Broncos, the Raiders' attempts fell flat and they ended up third in the AFC West with a 6-11 record.
Now, just nine months after the Raiders signed him to a three-year extension, they're going to move on from Carr, who reaffirmed that notion on Thursday.
Carr tweeted a note to Raiders fans thanking them for his nine-year tenure in Oakland and Las Vegas, all but confirming he and the team will be splitting this offseason. His agent did the same.
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 12, 2023
On @derekcarrqb pic.twitter.com/Zha1M0Llmb
— Younger & Associates/QB Limited/Tim Younger (@YoungerAssoc) January 12, 2023
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After many glowing words, Carr touched on the polarizing nature of his split with the team. "I once said that if I'm not a Raider I would rather be at home and I meant that," he wrote. "But I never envisioned it ending this way. That fire burning inside of me to win a championship still rages."
Carr is exiting the Raiders with franchise records in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage (among eligible QBs), passer rating (among eligible QBs), completions, and attempts. He's also, however, leaving the team with a 63-79 record, two playoff appearances, and no playoff wins. To his credit, Carr also had six different coaches in nine seasons with the Raiders.
Derek Carr contract
After the Raiders hired Josh McDaniels last offseason, they reaffirmed their faith in Carr as the QB of the future with a three-year, $121.5 million extension that made him the seventh-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
The move happened on the tail-end of a flurry of quarterback moves in the offseason, but the Raiders clearly didn't anticipate the debacle that was the 2022 season. After trading for Davante Adams, establishing a QB-WR tandem that had previously been cultivated at Fresno State, the team was looking for immediate success.
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The dead money hit, however, is not particularly hard for the Raiders to get out of, sitting at just $5.625 million.
Carr also has a no-trade clause, meaning if the Raiders trade him he'll be involved in the process.
Derek Carr potential landing spots
The Sporting News has a list of potential suitors for Carr, should he be traded.
Topping the list are the Jets and Colts, who will have to address their QB situations this offseason (although the Colts have more of a laundry list of needs than the Jets).
Following them are the Panthers and Commanders, two teams that also had a bit of a QB carousel last season and will be looking for help. The Saints, Buccaneers, and Patriots round out the list as outside shots.
Carr also may well be released, as that would behoove all sides. The Raiders wouldn't incur much of a cap hit in that case, and Carr would be able to negotiate his contract. This is a rare situation where the Raiders don't necessarily lose if they release or trade Carr.
Only one thing is certain: Carr won't be donning silver and black next season. After a tumultuous career in the Bay and the desert, he'll be looking for a fresh start. Lucky for him, there are plenty of teams with needs at QB that may be willing to take a flier on the prolific passer.