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No matter what Josh McDaniels says about Derek Carr, there’s going to be speculation about who the 2022 Las Vegas Raiders quarterback will be until he signs an extension. Signs are pointing in the direction that the team will stay put but anything is possible. There could be a number of big-name quarterbacks on the market this offseason, which will make things more interesting.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will almost certainly be on the move. Despite leading the team to a deep playoff run this season, the 49ers drafted his replacement in Trey Lance last year. It’s best for both sides to move on. McDaniels coached Garoppolo when he was a New England Patriot so there’s a lot of familiarity between the two.
Michelle Burton of Bleacher Report is predicting that the Raiders could make a bold trade and cut a deal for the 49ers quarterback:
Despite (most likely) ending his career in San Francisco on a low note, Garoppolo is far from damaged goods. While saying he “took” the franchise to a Super Bowl and two NFC Championship Games in the last three years might be a tad overblown, lesser quarterbacks have gotten credit for more.
As McDaniels looks to install his offense in Las Vegas, Garoppolo may not be a long-term solution. But he could certainly help get things off the ground.
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Garoppolo Is Not an Upgrade Over Carr
While there are obvious ties between Garoppolo and McDaniels, there’s no reason to believe that the Raiders would want to make this trade. Simply put, Carr is just a much better quarterback. He’s more durable, missing only two regular season games in his entire career. Garoppolo has missed games due to injury in every season of his career except in 2019.
Carr also has the better arm talent and has three times as many game-winning drives as Garoppolo. McDaniels can do a lot more things with the Raiders offense if he has Carr running it. Garoppolo isn’t a bad quarterback but he’s limited and brittle. Trading for the 49ers quarterback would likely mean that Las Vegas is planning on drafting a young prospect at the position.
Trading Carr Would Be Controversial
The Raiders already took a risk by hiring McDaniels. The players loved interim head coach Rich Bisaccia and wanted him to keep the job permanently. With the team deciding to move on, some players could already be irritated.
Carr is the leader of this team and his teammates love him. McDaniels coming in trading away the quarterback so soon would not sit well with many players on the roster. That’s something the Raiders need to consider before even thinking about making a trade. Plus, Garoppolo would not mark an obvious improvement. It’s one thing if the team lands Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, who are clear upgrades over Carr. Garoppolo is not in the same class and it would likely frustrate a lot of players.
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