Coming into the offseason, the biggest questions that needed to be addressed by the Las Vegas Raiders was who would be the team’s head coach and what was the future of quarterback Derek Carr with the franchise. Carr is coming off arguably his best season in a Raiders uniform, helping lead the team to its first playoff berth since 2016.
Carr did have his ups and downs throughout the season, but as he is entering the final season of his contract, the Raiders must decide on whether he indeed can be their quarterback of the future. This offseason is already in full swing with multiple trades of starting quarterbacks already happening, and apparently, Carr could potentially be the centerpiece of another.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, multiple teams have an interest in acquiring the Raiders’ signal-caller:
FYI: As teams continue to look for QB’s, multiple teams have expressed interest in @Raiders QB Derek Carr. Not a surprise at all, it’s that time of year. Expect the interest to continue to heat up as long as Carr’s contract situation remains as is.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) March 4, 2022
As Bonsignore pointed out, it is that time of the year when discussions are taking place as teams look to solidify their rosters. So far this offseason, Aaron Rodgers signed a record deal to return to the Green Bay Packers, Carson Wentz was traded from the Colts to the Washington Commanders, and Russell Wilson was dealt from the Seahawks to the Denver Broncos.
That last deal should be of note to the Raiders as they now must deal with Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert within their division. Seeing that caliber of quarterback twice a year, they must figure out whether Carr can keep pace.
Of course, Carr will also be looking for a new contract soon as he is vastly underpaid, and the Raiders would have to believe that he is worth the $35-$45 million per year that he would likely be asking for. While Carr’s numbers aren’t necessarily mind-blowing, he has proven he can win games with this team and is clearly a leader in the locker room whom his teammates rally behind.
This will be an absolutely crucial decision for the Raiders as new head coach Josh McDaniels is surely looking to take this franchise to the next level, and that can’t happen without the right quarterback in place. If they don’t believe Carr is that guy, then getting some draft capital and working to find that right person is likely the best move.
