The Raiders benching Derek Carr is a blessing in disguise for veteran QB
Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a new three-year, $121.5 million contract extension back in April. Cut ahead to late December and he has been benched and sent home by the team for the final two weeks of the season.
This is a sad end for the veteran quarterback, who has been with the franchise since 2014. He has a losing record with the Raiders, but has been to three Pro Bowls and provided stability at the position.
Sending him home now may confuse some fans, but it makes sense when realizing he has an injury guarantee worth over $30 million. Sending him home healthy means the franchise can easily cut him in the offseason for a dead cap value of only $5.6 million. Yet this impending end opens up an exciting new beginning.
Derek Carr is in line for a fresh start
He faced a disadvantage from the start of his time with the Raiders. He showed up with Dennis Allen as head coach, only for Allen to get fired. Jack Del Rio then came in for three years, at a time when Carr started to elevate his game.
But Raiders ownership is always looking for a splash, and Jon Gruden was brought in for the 2018 season. The quarterback's numbers dropped rapidly, and the team went 4-12 in 2018.
Josh McDaniels came in this season as a supposed offensive mastermind, only for his team to continually fall short in key situations. Yet since the head coach just showed up, the veteran signal-caller ended up being the scapegoat.
The likes of Ryan Tannehill, Geno Smith, and Kirk Cousins were all seen as dead ends at one point in time. Heading to a new location served as a fresh start, with Tannehill and Cousins looking like new players right away. Can the same happen for Carr?
Teams like the Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, New York Jets, and Carolina Panthers, among others, could be in the sweepstakes to sign Carr this offseason. This is a unique situation where a proven starter is available on the open market, with no draft capital attached. He is also still only 31 years old, which is becoming younger and younger in the modern NFL.
Some situations just don't work out and the fact Carr and the Raiders have never won a playoff game together proves a split is for the best. He can still have a full second career elsewhere, and also pick and choose where that new journey will begin.
There is an argument to be made comparing Carr to Russell Wilson. The similarity is that a veteran quarterback became available, and a team sunk its future because that new quarterback failed so miserably. The difference here is that Carr is a free agent, meaning a new team is not selling its future in exchange for his services. A 4-13 finish still means a top pick no matter what.
The veteran has been with the Raiders since his career began and has been a loyal advocate for the franchise in both Oakland and Las Vegas. Yet a successful second act could mean he is associated with a new team when his career comes to a close.