The Las Vegas Raiders decided to bench Derek Carr with two weeks remaining in the regular season, but it sounds like their confidence in the veteran quarterback was shot long before that.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders knew “within weeks of the start of the season” that Carr was not going to be their long-term solution at quarterback. By keeping him off the field in Week 17 and Week 18, they mitigate the risk of having to pay Carr the $40 million in injury guarantees remaining on the contract extension he signed last April.
The Raiders have known for more than a month that the Carr era in Las Vegas was coming to an end, and owner Mark Davis signed off on the transition.
Now, the Raiders will try to trade Carr. The $40 million guaranteed kicks in if Carr remains on Las Vegas’ roster on the third day of the waiver period, which would be three days after the Super Bowl. They could agree to a handshake deal for a trade before then, or they could negotiate an extension to the guaranteed money deadline to give them more time to find a new home for Carr.
If Las Vegas cannot find a trade suitor, Bonsignore reports that they are willing to cut Carr and take a $5.6 million salary cap hit.
We have already heard of a couple of teams that might make sense for Carr. While his 14 interceptions are tied for most in the NFL this season, Carr is still just 31. It would not be a surprise if a team takes a chance on trading for him.
