Will Josh McDaniels’ arrival trigger a quarterback change in Las Vegas? Possibly, but the former New England Patriots offensive coordinator reportedly is high on the Raiders’ incumbent.
NFL Media’s Mike Giardi reported Monday that McDaniels — who has yet to be officially announced as the Raiders’ new head coach — is “excited” to work with Derek Carr.
“From a football standpoint, to put his mark on this team, to inherit a quarterback in Derek Carr whom he likes, from what I’ve been told, who feels like he can coach (Carr) up, that is another element of this that (McDaniels) is very excited about,” Giardi said on NFL Network.
Carr has started nearly every game for the Raiders since he entered the NFL in 2014, and he’s coming off a solid 2021 season during which he ranked fifth in completion percentage and passing yards, seventh in yards per attempt, 13th in Pro Football Focus grade and 14th in passer rating.
If McDaniels wants to move in a different direction at the quarterback position, however, he easily could trade or release Carr, who is entering the final year of his contract and has no dead money left on his deal.
News of McDaniels’ impending hiring broke Sunday. With director of player personnel Dave Ziegler also departing New England to become the Raiders’ general manager, the Patriots now will need to find a new offensive coordinator and a new head of their personnel department.
