Less than a year ago, the Las Vegas Raiders hired Josh McDaniels and traded for star receiver Davante Adams. The idea was for the Raiders, who were a playoff team in 2021, to be able to build off their previous success, with Derek Carr continuing to lead the way as the starting quarterback.
As we know now, the 2022 Raiders were a mess. They started 2-7 and, despite a late rally, still finished the year at 6-11. In some instances, like in Denver, a team would simply make some personnel and perhaps some roster changes and try to run it back, believing they still have enough talent on hand to lead a turnaround the following season.
But not in Las Vegas, where the toothpaste is already out of the tube due to Carr being benched for the final two games of the season, signifying a change is coming to the QB room.
Much was made of Carr being sent to the bench at the time, with the decision being a shocking move. And even Carr recently hinted at some hidden truths that have yet to be revealed.
Related: 4 ideal Derek Carr landing spots in a trade or NFL free agency
Derek Carr expresses desire to tell ‘truth’ about his Raiders experience
The current Raiders QB opened up about his situation on social media, raising some eyebrows in the NFL community.
“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.”
Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr
It should be noted that once Carr lost his starting job to Jarrett Stidham, the Raiders veteran left the organization altogether, opting to spend his time away from the team, including on gameday. Many other veterans would stick around and help a young, inexperienced QB who was making his first start, but for whatever reason, Carr wasn’t present. Perhaps that’s what he’s trying to open up about.
After Carr’s benching, several reports emerged, showing support for the team’s starting QB since 2014. But it’s unclear exactly what the three-time Pro Bowl signal-caller could be alluding to with his comments.
We’ll refrain from trying to speculate too much about what could be about a million possibilities, but it’s clear Carr has some unfinished business in the NFL. Whoever gets the set-to-be 32-year-old QB this offseason will be getting a motivated leader.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders: Front-runner, best fit, dark-horse suitor for Derek Carr
Carr ‘doing homework’ on his ideal NFL landing spot
Sticking with the theme of Carr “choosing to move on”, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports, the QB has begun “doing his homework on potential teams” that he could land with this offseason.
Carr, who has a $40.4 million contract guarantee that kicks in on February 15, is a good bet to be traded this offseason. A number of teams have reportedly already reached out to the Raiders about possibly adding Carr to their roster.
With several teams expected to be in the market for a new quarterback in 2023, Carr is likely to have plenty of suitors. Yet it’s important to remember that Carr has a full no-trade clause, which explains why he’d want to do his homework on which team is the best fit for his future.