As of Tuesday, Derek Carr was officially no longer a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, as they released him, making him a free agent.
He was benched prior to Week 16’s contest against the San Francisco 49ers, and that decision by head coach Josh McDaniels immediately led to speculation about Carr’s future.
The quarterback’s agent issued a classy statement about Tuesday’s decision.
We wish the @Raiders the best of luck. This is the tough part of this business. That’s the point; it’s just business. Time now to reset for both sides. Derek chooses to hold on to many good memories and friendships, without any will. That’s who he is. Onwards and upwards.
— Younger & Associates/QB Limited/Tim Younger (@YoungerAssoc) February 14, 2023
At first, it looked like perhaps Las Vegas would trade Carr.
The team granted him permission to speak to other teams regarding a potential deal, but the interest in him was tepid.
He reportedly met with the New Orleans Saints, but nothing materialized on that front.
The Raiders’ decision to release Carr, at the very least, will save them money and salary cap space, which could help them shortly down the road.
This all comes after a pretty terrible season for a Raiders squad that some expected to be in the mix for a spot in Super Bowl LVII after trading for star wide receiver Davante Adams.
There was talk that Carr would therefore have a big season, but his production actually declined compared to the 2021 campaign.
After blowing multiple leads and losing several close games, Las Vegas felt it needed an overhaul, and now everyone will be waiting to see what it does to find Carr’s successor.
The hot rumor has been that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be headed there, which would mean he would get to play with Adams again.
But such a move would require the Raiders to give up numerous assets to Green Bay, and it isn’t clear if management is willing to do so.
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NFL World Reacts To Today’s Derek Carr News
