Ever since he was benched for the final two games of the regular season it became clear that quarterback Derek Carr’s time with the Las Vegas Raiders was coming to an end. The fact that he would be guaranteed more than $40 million should he be on the roster by February 15 simply put a date on when that split would come.
In the meantime, the Raiders did explore trade options for Carr and eventually allowed him to visit the New Orleans Saints, but no deal would come together. And with Carr being unwilling to waive his no-trade clause, or extend the deadline date, the inevitable was always on its way.
And that moment has now come as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Raiders have released Derek Carr, making him a free agent and there are already expected to be a couple of suitors:
Raiders officially informed QB Derek Carr that he has been released, per source. Team released him before $40.4 million in his contract became guaranteed today.
Carr is now a free agent and is expected to draw interest from the Saints and Panthers, amongst others. pic.twitter.com/X2v6pDecqP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 14, 2023
Both the Saints and Carolina Panthers have very solid rosters that would be boosted by even competent play from the quarterback position which Carr is more than capable of bringing. He is an excellent leader who was beloved by his teammates and now is free to find the best situation for him moving forward. He leaves the Raiders as the all-time franchise leader in passing yards, completions, and passing touchdowns.
For the Raiders this move gives the team a ton of salary cap space with which to work this offseason, but a huge hole at the quarterback position. Rumors have been circulating around the possibility of trading for superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, and Jimmy Garoppolo has also been mentioned as a possibility, especially with his familiarity with head coach Josh McDaniels and his offensive system from their time together with the New England Patriots.
But the Raiders also have many other holes to fill on this roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball and how the team uses this cap space will be extremely important to their success this season.
Additionally, the Raiders also have the seventh overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft which they could use on a quarterback for the future, or to plug another hole should they find their answer in free agency.