The end of an era is coming for the Las Vegas Raiders as they look to move on from longtime quarterback Derek Carr.
Carr was benched for the Raiders’ final two games of the 2022 season after a poor stretch of games. Career backup Jarrett Stidham drew the start in his place, losing both games that ultimately resulted in a 6-11 record for Las Vegas.
While Carr had one of his worst seasons under center, he was hardly to blame as the team overall struggled on both sides of the football. Josh McDaniels was also partly to blame for his lack of adjustments in second halves, as evidenced by the Raiders’ troubles in the later stages of games.
In order to prevent any distractions, Carr opted to stay away from the team in the final two weeks. Although he probably has a lot to say about his situation and how it was handled, he is taking the high road and choosing to focus on the future instead via his Twitter account:
Thank you to all the people reaching out trying to give me their platform to tell my side of what happened. It’s the hardest thing in the world not to jump on every interview and tell the whole truth. Thank you but I’m choosing to move on and give our next city our best. 🙏🏼
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 21, 2023
How effective Carr is as a starting quarterback is an open question for some fans, but there’s no denying his leadership ability and maturity. There are numerous players that would not have taken kindly to how Carr was treated down the stretch, but the veteran has been nothing but a class act.
As far as Carr’s playing future goes, he’ll have his fair share of suitors in the offseason. Teams like the New York Jets, Washington Commanders, and Indianapolis Colts could all look to trade for him as they have their own issues at quarterback. At 31 years old, Carr could serve as either a team’s short-term fix at the position or as a bridge quarterback until they eventually draft his successor.
For the Raiders, they will probably be in the market for a seasoned quarterback to replace Carr as the roster looks to compete with pieces like Davante Adams and Darren Waller on the roster. Who that person is is anyone’s guess, but do not expect the Silver and Black to start over.
