Quarterback Derek Carr said farewell to the Las Vegas Raiders over social media on Thursday.
“Raider Nation it breaks my heart I didn’t get an opportunity to say goodbye in person,” Carr wrote on Twitter. “We certainly have been on a roller coaster in our 9 years together. From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful and appreciative of the years of support you gave to my family and me.”
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 12, 2023
Carr, 31, also referenced a previous comment in which he said he’d probably quit football if he was no longer a member of the Raiders.
“I once said that if I’m not a Raider I would rather be at home and I meant that, but I never envisioned it ending this way,” Carr wrote. “That fire burning inside of me to win a championship still rages. A fire no man can extinguish; only God. So I look forward to a new city and a new team who, no matter the circumstance, will get everything I have. Winning a championship is what I’ve always wanted and what I will continue to work towards.”
The Raiders are expected to attempt to trade Carr, who has a no-trade clause in the three-year, $121.5 million extension he signed in April.
Carr’s $32.9 million base salary for 2023 and $7.5 million of his 2024 salary become guaranteed if he is still on the roster on Feb. 15, written in his contract as “three days after the Super Bowl.”
If the Raiders cannot find a trade partner by then, they could release him to avoid being on the hook for more than $40 million in guaranteed money. It would cost them about $5 million in dead cap space.
Carr was benched for the final two games of the season and stepped away from the team during that time.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Carr completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 3,522 yards with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 games this season. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards (35,222) and touchdowns (217).
–Field Level Media