After nine seasons that saw him stick with the franchise through its move from Oakland to Las Vegas, Derek Carr’s time with the Raiders appears to be over — even after the team extended him on a three-year, $121.5 million deal last offseason.
On Wednesday, head coach Josh McDaniels announced that Carr would not start the team’s final two games of the season, opting instead for fourth-year backup Jarrett Stidham — who will make his first career start Sunday against the 49ers.
McDaniels characterized the move as “an opportunity to evaluate a younger player,” — but in actuality, the team likely does not want to risk Carr getting injured as they look to trade or cut him to avoid paying a combined $40.4 million over the next two seasons that becomes guaranteed on Feb. 15.
Carr has left the team to avoid being a distraction, per multiple reports, even though the 6-9 Raiders are technically still in playoff contention — albeit with less than a 1% chance.
Owner Mark Davis has reportedly been “lukewarm” on the 31-year-old QB for some time — which is likely why Carr’s new contract included an out that would let the Raiders incur only $5.6 million in dead cap hit if they were to let him go.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Davante Adams — who came to Las Vegas largely because of his relationship with Carr — took to Instagram in support of his friend and college teammate.
Adams’ future with the franchise remains unclear with Carr out of the picture — but the quarterback’s time there is almost surely over.
