Derek Carr is technically still a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, but that technicality is about the extent of it at this point.
Carr on Thursday publicly acknowledged what most already suspected: His time with the Raiders is almost certainly done. The Raiders benched Carr entering Week 17 and let him get away from the team for the rest of the season as the club started to sort out his future.
The Raiders already have begun the process of finding a trade partner for Carr, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday. Carr signed an extension last year with a stipulation that would leave the Raiders with a manageable $5.6 million dead-cap hit if they traded or cut him before June 1. His base salary for 2023, however, becomes fully guaranteed just three days after Super Bowl LVII, which underscores the urgency of the decision-making process.
So, either the Raiders trade Carr or release him.
Regardless of how they get there, Carr almost certainly will have a new address next season, and Vegas will have a new QB. DraftKings Sportsbook on Thursday updated their next-team odds for Carr, basing the wager on the team for whom Carr would take his next snap.
Here are some of the favorites:
Derek Carr next-team snaps (DraftKings Sportsbook)
New York Jets +400
Indianapolis Colts +400
Tennessee Titans +600
Washington Commanders +900
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1000
New Orleans Saints +1000
New England Patriots +1100
Carolina Panthers +1200
Not a ton of surprise with most of those teams, as they enter the offseason with major quarterback question marks. The Jets don’t seem convinced at all that Zach Wilson — or Mike White — is the quarterback of the future. The Colts, on the other hand, seem destined for another veteran retread.
But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots sure are interesting inclusions. Tom Brady effectively is a free agent, and if he wants to continue his career into his late-40s, he might be doing it somewhere other than Tampa Bay, especially given how the Bucs’ season played out.
The Patriots are an even more fascinating inclusion atop the list. A lot of it depends on just how sold they are in Mac Jones, and it’s quite hard to get a read on Bill Belichick in that regard. That Vegas general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels came from New England — and are quite familiar with how Belichick operates — certainly makes that situation even more intriguing.
When it comes to Carr’s potential, he’s a bit of an enigma. He has flashed at times in his career, finishing third in MVP voting back in 2016 when he threw 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Far too often, though, he makes questionable decisions with the ball, as evidenced by 28 interceptions since the start of 2022. The Raiders played just one playoff game in his nine seasons as starter.
The contract could also be an issue, as Carr’s deal is, uh, player-friendly to say the least. In the right situation, though, with a strong offensive line and a good system, he could flourish.
Whether those criteria are met by any of the teams on that shortlist of potential suitors is sure up for debate.
