LAS VEGAS (AP) — Quarterback Derek Carr said Thursday in his first public comments since being benched by Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels that he is up for the challenge of playing in a new city.
“I once said that if I wasn’t a raider I’d rather be home and I meant it, but I never imagined it would end up like this.” Carr posted on Twitter. “The fire that burns in me to win a championship is still raging. A fire that no one can put out; only God. So I’m looking forward to a new city and a new team that will get everything I’ve got no matter what.”
Carr started in 142 games for the Raiders in nine seasons, bringing stability to a franchise that had gone through 17 quarterbacks in the 11 years before he arrived as a second-round pick in 2014.
Carr helped lead the Raiders to playoff appearances in 2016 and 2021 and holds multiple team records, including most yards passed (35,222) and most touchdown passes (217). But he also had the third-most starts for a team in the Super Bowl-era for a quarterback who never won a playoff game for the team.
Carr struggled on offense in his freshman year under McDaniels, despite the addition of star receiver and close friend Davante Adams, and was benched two weeks before the end of the regular season.
Carr had his lowest marks since his rookie season for completion rate (60.6%) and passer rating (86.3), while posting his highest interception rate (2.8%) and lowest yards per attempt ( 7.0) recorded since 2017.
This ultimately led to the decision of McDaniels and first-year general managers Dave Ziegler to move away from Carr less than a year after signing a three-year extension for $120.5 million.
The deal, signed last April, landed Carr a $5 million raise in 2022, but offered an end to Las Vegas this offseason. The Raiders have until Feb. 15 to release Carr or his $32.9 million salary for 2023 and $7.5 million of his $41.9 million salary for 2024 are guaranteed.
The Raiders can try to reach an agreement on a trade for Carr before that deadline, but a deal can’t be finalized until the start of the new league year on March 15. Any team that takes on Carr would then take on the remainder of the contract. This would include the guarantees for 2023-24 and a $41.2 million non-guaranteed salary for 2025.
Carr has a no-trade clause in his deal that puts him in control of his goal. That could force the Raiders to simply cut him, absorbing a $5.6 million fee for the 2023 salary cap but saving more than $29 million.
“Derek’s tenure with the Raiders is practically over,” said Carr’s agent Tim Younger. posted on Twitter. “Relationships end, but like here a treasure trove of memories and friendships remain, along with a very special bond with his fans. These will not end.
“Teams are constantly looking for franchise players who will fully commit like Derek has for nearly a decade, maybe even to a blunder. That is his true legacy here, much more than the numerous team records he holds.”
Carr thanked the fans in Las Vegas and Oakland and the organization.
“It’s especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say I gave you (the fans) everything I had, every single day, in season and off season,” Carr wrote. “It certainly wasn’t perfect, but I hope that as Raider fans I was able to leave you with more than a few great memories.”
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