While unlikely to make the 2022 NFL playoffs, the Raiders are not mathematically out of contention entering Week 17 against the 49ers. However, coach Josh McDaniels is making a change at quarterback, announcing Wednesday that Derek Carr is sitting the rest of the year for backup Jarrett Stidham. McDaniels left the door open for a QB trade after the narrow Week 16 loss to the Steelers, and now it’s official. Carr is out as the signal caller for Las Vegas, and probably forever.
“We think it’s an opportunity to evaluate a younger player who hasn’t had a lot of playing time,” McDaniels told reporters. “Talking to Derek, who’s been great, he understands the scenario we’re in (and is) very supportive … There’s a lot to sort out after the season.”
A three-time Pro Bowler who has thrown for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this year, Carr started. started 91 consecutive games For the Raiders, the longest active QB streak in the NFL. The veteran just signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension this offseason, tying him to Las Vegas through 2025 and providing the impetus for the team’s blockbuster acquisition of Davante Adams. But he’s been less productive than usual under McDaniels, struggling in a 6-9 start to boost the offensive offense and finish games in which Las Vegas has led.
Stidham, 26, was acquired this spring in a trade with the Patriots, McDaniels’ former team. A fourth-round pick of New England in 2019, he spent all four of his NFL seasons under McDaniels, appearing in eight games with the Pats. While he doesn’t necessarily project as the Raiders’ QB beyond 2022, it’s fair to say the same about his predecessor.
Despite his lucrative new deal, Carr, 31, can be released or traded without penalty after the season, instantly saving the Raiders about $30 million. The safe bet, now that he’s removed from the lineup after less than a year as McDaniels’ QB1, is that Las Vegas will, in fact, part ways with the former second-round pick this offseason. Carr has been at least an average starter for most of his career, often earning high marks for his leadership amid multiple regime changes, but he’s also registered just one playoff appearance in nearly a decade in silver and black.
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With the Raiders exploring an upgrade, with current Buccaneers QB and longtime McDaniels teammate Tom Brady among the top possibilities, where could Carr end up in 2023? Given that the veteran has a no-trade clause that could allow him to control his own destiny, here’s an early rundown of logical suitors:
Long shots
Leading contenders
