Getty Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Despite many rumors about why things between Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t work out, the quarterback appears ready to move on. While he’s said goodbye to the fan base and hinted at where his head is at a recent church service, Carr has refused to speak too much on the matter of him getting benched. He was the quarterback for the Raiders for nine years so many want to know why exactly things went down the way that they did.
For his part, Carr is not interested in telling his side of the story in public. On his verified Twitter account, he came out and said that he appreciates the interest but would prefer to simply move on.
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. 🙏🏼
David Carr, Derek’s brother, recently said he plans to film a podcast where he details how everything went down. It remains to be seen if that’s still happening amid Derek Carr’s desire to move on. That said, he could have his brother do the dirty work for him so his side of the story comes out while he isn’t the one directly airing out the dirty laundry. Once Carr is on a new team, there will likely be more information to come out but for now, the two sides are focused on where the quarterback is going to play next.
What Did Happen Between Carr & Raiders?
Since Carr was benched before the Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers, there have been myriad rumors about why the decision was made. The simplest answer is that he wasn’t playing well enough. His benching did come following a three-interception performance in a must-win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hondo Carpenter of Sports Illustrated reported that the relationship between Carr and head coach Josh McDaniels was growing sour as the season went on. There’s also talk of Tom Brady coming to Las Vegas so that could’ve factored in why the team benched Carr and ensured his injury guarantees didn’t kick in. However, all of this would be moot if he played well. The Raiders wouldn’t have benched him if he was having the season many expected from him.
Carr’s 86.3 passer rating ranked 24th in the NFL and his 14 interceptions were the most in the league before he was benched. There may have been a lot more that went into his benching than his play on the field but his lackluster season certainly didn’t help.
What’s Next for Carr?
Things are going to move quickly for Carr. The Raiders should have a decision on him by February 15. They have to trade or cut him by that date or $40.5 million worth of contract guarantees kick in. Right now, he’s likely talking to interested teams about a potential trade.
Carr has a no-trade clause in his contract so he can dictate where he’ll end up. The Raiders will have to work closely with the quarterback to find the right suitor. It’s very possible that this ends with Carr getting cut and heading to free agency. Las Vegas needs to hope that there is a team that really wants the quarterback and does what it can to ensure he doesn’t hit the open market. Unless that happens, Carr will likely become a free agent.
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