Getty Las Vegas Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler.
When the Las Vegas Raiders benched Derek Carr, it was clear they would try to trade him in the offseason. While trading the quarterback and getting some assets would be great for the team, it will prove difficult. Carr has a no-trade clause in his contract and $40.5 million worth of guarantees kick in on February 15.
The quarterback can tell the Raiders to either cut him or pay him those guarantees. He has little incentive to help the team out but they’re going to try to trade him regardless. What helps Las Vegas is that there are many teams around the league that would love to add Carr. In fact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter went so far as to say that the quarterback is “expected” to be traded.
“He is expected to be traded at some point this offseason and as usual with quarterbacks, the demand exceeds the supply,” Schefter said on a January 21 episode of “ESPN’s Postseason NFL Countdown.” “The entire NFC South is expected to be in the market for a new quarterback. The Jets, the Commanders, the Colts, the Texans. There are so many teams that need quarterbacks, which elevates the value of Carr. And that is why at some point this offseason, earlier rather than later, he is expected to be traded.”
Some QB updates from ESPN’s Postseason NFL Countdown on Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Derek Carr and Lamar Jackson:
Why Would Carr Waive No-Trade Clause?
Schefter is arguably the most connected reporter in the NFL so it’s notable that he would say that Carr is expected to be traded. He certainly knows about the details in the quarterback’s contract. However, a Carr trade still proves difficult. If a team is willing to take on his contract in a trade, why wouldn’t they be willing to pay him a similar deal in free agency?
From Carr’s perspective, there’s no way of knowing for sure that he’ll receive a contract that pays him similar money once he’s a free agent. Potentially interested teams won’t want to get in a bidding way in free agency. If they know Carr is the quarterback they want, they’ll move heaven and earth to make sure they get him. That would help the Raiders pull off a trade. If it’s the right situation with a good team, Carr should be open to waiving his no-trade clause. Las Vegas should just be happy to get anything in return for the quarterback at this point.
Raiders Beat Writer Thinks Trade Is Possible
There are many reasons to believe that Carr won’t be traded but there are well-connected people who think it can happen. Vic Tafur of The Atheltic recently wrote that he believes a deal can get done:
I think they can trade him. If you’re another team, Carr is like the first QB on the market, and you can work on his contract with the Raiders and Carr’s agent without worrying about competing bids raising the price on the open market. Carr would sign off because there is no guarantee what he would get on the market, and maybe the Raiders can get a third-rounder for their efforts (and some money they would potentially throw in to sweeten the deal for the other team).