Josh McDaniels won’t be making a quarterback change in Las Vegas. In fact, he’s reportedly preparing to hitch his wagon to Derek Carr for the long haul.
“Sources say the Raiders are moving forward with Carr at QB and prepared to discuss a contract extension that would keep him in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future,” NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday.
McDaniels and new Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler both spoke highly of Carr during their introductory news conference. Rapoport reported the two have long admired the 30-year-old quarterback, even considering trading for him last offseason when both were with the New England Patriots.
“Sources say Carr’s top choice for a new coach was actually the one the team hired (McDaniels),” Rapoport wrote. “In the past, McDaniels’ and Ziegler’s affection for the three-time Pro Bowler led them to consider trading for him.”
After mulling QB options last spring, the Patriots wound up re-signing Cam Newton and using a first-round draft pick on Mac Jones. Jones beat out Newton for the top job in training camp and went on to start every game as a rookie.
Carr has started all but two regular-season games for the Raiders since he entered the NFL in 2014. He enjoyed a solid season in 2021, throwing for a career-high 4,804 yards to lead Las Vegas to its first playoff appearance since 2016.
The 30-year-old is entering the final season of his current Raiders contract. Had McDaniels, who was hired as Las Vegas’ head coach two weeks ago, preferred a different signal-caller, he could have traded or released Carr with no financial penalty.
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