Getty Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
Despite the fact that Derek Carr’s trade value was very high this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders decided to sit out of any trade talks. The veteran quarterback is entering a contract year but the plan appears to be to get him a contract extension. Head coach Josh McDaniels has already spoken about the possible discussion and even stated that Carr will be his starting quarterback in Week 1.
The trade for Davante Adams showed a strong commitment to Carr and a contract extension could be considered a formality at this point. However, contract negotiations can often have a lot of twists and turns. Until Carr actually signs an extension, there’s a chance that he will be playing on an expiring deal this offseason. One NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic that the Raiders and McDaniels could have a contingency plan if Carr can’t agree on a contract.
“One exec wondered whether acquiring Adams foreshadowed a long-term deal with quarterback Derek Carr, who is entering the final year of his deal with the Raiders,” Sando wrote. “This exec speculated that McDaniels might figure he could sign Jimmy Garoppolo next season as a fallback if he didn’t want to do a deal with Carr.”
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Garoppolo Would Be Downgrade From Carr
Garoppolo could be a popular name linked to the Raiders if Carr doesn’t get a new contract due to his ties to McDaniels. He played under the coach during his four seasons in New England. There’s a lot of familiarity between the two. If the situation with Carr sours to the point of new return, then perhaps Garoppolo would make a decent bridge quarterback.
However, the San Francisco 49ers veteran is not an upgrade over Carr. Durability is a huge issue for Garoppolo. He’s only played a full season once in his career. Carr is the polar opposite as he’s only missed two starts in eight seasons. Plus, he’s just a more skilled player. McDaniels knows this and that’s why he hasn’t already pursued Garoppolo yet this offseason, who is currently on the trade block.
Derek Carr could be in for a HEFTY payday 💰
Raiders Are All-in This Season
This offseason has proven that the new Raiders front office and the coaching staff believe in Carr and the team. They wouldn’t invest in Adams and Chandlers Jones if they didn’t believe that they could win a lot of games in 2022. One executive pointed out how thin the margins are when getting to a Super Bowl and understood the Raiders’ approach to the offseason.
“The Raiders went down to the last play with the Bengals in the playoffs,” another exec told Sando. “The Bengals went to the Super Bowl. Everybody is so close. The Bengals got there, so why not us? Even moreso, in that division, if you don’t keep up with the arms race, you probably are the fourth-best team and you are not sniffing the playoffs.”
The Raiders have been in a continuous rebuild for almost two decades. Fans should be excited about the fact that McDaniels and company aren’t looking to start over and just want to build off of a solid season.
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