Getty Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
The Las Vegas Raiders have officially decided to bench Derek Carr for the first time in his nine years as a starter. With just two games left, Jarrett Stidham will be the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. Unless he lights up the field, the team will likely have plans to make a change at quarterback this offseason.
There’s always the possibility that Carr will return as the starter next season but that seems like a pipe dream. The Raiders almost certainly benched the quarterback so that they don’t risk injury to him, which would lead to his contract becoming guaranteed. The coming months will be filled with speculation about who the next quarterback will be in Las Vegas. Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo are the logical options as they are both free agents and have ties to head coach Josh McDaniels.
However, the Raiders could look to the trade market to add a different quarterback familiar with the coach’s offense. Moe Moton of Bleacher Report and Silver & Black Today floated the idea of the team trading for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.
“I have an alternative plan if Derek Carr were to walk away or if they wanted to move on from Derek Carr, and a lot of Raiders fans aren’t going to like to hear this but I would acquire Mac Jones from the Patriots,” Moton said. “I would acquire Mac Jones and draft a quarterback.”
Moton further explains in the clip below.
.@MoeMoton has a name to replace Derek Carr as starting QB for the #Raiders SHOULD the team decide to move on. It will surprise you but his logic makes perfect sense…
Hear the full discussion on our @AudacySports original show’s NEW episode today: t.co/CWMxByLINp
Why Would Patriots Trade Jones?
Raiders fans will be underwhelmed by the idea of trading for Jones to replace Carr. There’s no question the latter is the better quarterback and the former has looked terrible this season. That said, Jones has also been getting his plays from a longtime defensive coach. The Patriots offense is a disaster and most of the blame should be on Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia. When Jones had McDaniels calling the plays, he was a Pro Bowler.
The Patriots used a first-round pick on Jones just a season ago so it’s difficult to understand why they’d want to trade him. Patricia likely won’t be calling plays next season and there’s been talk of Bill O’Brien coming back. He’s had success developing quarterbacks so he could help fix Jones. The Patriots don’t have a replacement on the roster and won’t have a high draft pick. There’s no reason for them to trade him right now. The Raiders also shouldn’t give up a good draft pick for Jones. If he was a free agent, it might be a good idea to bring in the young quarterback but he’s not worth what the Raiders might have to give up to get him.
Jones Has Stirred Controversy Recently
Another reason why the Raiders could steer clear of Jones is that he’s been stirring controversy lately. During Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jones was seen taking out Eli Apple’s legs during a fumble return. It led to the quarterback getting hit with an $11,139 fine. He’s now earned a reputation as a dirty player around the league.
Mac Jones is a dirty player – Compilation video from 4 different incidents from his two-year career.
Replacing a beloved quarterback like Carr with a controversial player like Jones might sit right with the Raiders’ locker room. There are many factors the team would need to consider before making a potential trade.