All of the Las Vegas Raiders‘ focus right now is on the playoffs and the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Derek Carr is set to play his first playoff game and has his eyes on the Super Bowl. However, there are a few major things looming over the franchise right now and the quarterback is one of them.
Whenever the offseason starts for the Raiders, they will need to decide on who will be the next head coach. Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia has done a great job but there’s no guarantee he’s going to get the full-time position. After they make a decision at head coach, the next thing to figure out is what to do with Carr. He has one year left on his contract after this season and franchise quarterbacks don’t typically have to worry about their contracts expiring.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are planning to conduct a coaching search and Carr’s future with the team could depend on who they hire:
The Raiders will conduct a full and thorough coaching search when the offseason begins, and it appears the future of quarterback Derek Carr will be tied in with it.
Las Vegas and Carr have a mutual decision to make this offseason, and sources say the choice of the head coach will be a factor.
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What Does This Report Mean?
In the past, Carr has made it clear he wants to retire a Raider. He’s even gone so far as to say he wouldn’t play for another team. However, those comments came when he thought he’d be playing under Jon Gruden for the next decade. With Gruden gone, that could change his mindset.
When Rapoport says the two sides will have to come to a “mutual decision,” it could mean that Carr may be more open to moving on than he has previously. That isn’t to say that he wants to move on. If the Raiders hire Jim Harbaugh, it’s possible he wouldn’t want the quarterback. There are a lot of moving parts here but Carr has done more than enough this season to prove he’s earned another contract. It could be up to him if he wants to stay for another regime change. If Bisaccia gets the job, Carr will almost certainly get an extension. If not, his future becomes murkier.
Most passing yards when under pressure
♨️ Derek Carr – 1,260
Multiple Teams Expected to Show Interest in the QB
Should Carr and the Raiders decide to break up, he should be a hot commodity on the trade market. Rapoport named some teams to keep an eye on and expects more to be interested in the quarterback.
“Among the teams who would make sense for Carr are the Saints, Texans and perhaps the Colts, should they decide to move on from Carson Wentz. If Carr is, in fact, available, he will likely garner more interest than that,” Rapoport wrote.
Teams like the Saints or the Colts have to be interesting to Carr. They both have really good rosters but could be a quarterback away from Super Bowl contention. If he’s going to leave the Raiders, he’s going to want it to be for a contender.
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Derek Carr’s Future Tied to HC Search, Teams to Show Interest: Report