Raiders Rumors: Derek Carr Trade Market to Be Evaluated After Benching QB

As expected, the Las Vegas Raiders are planning to evaluate the trade market for quarterback Derek Carr after benching him for the final two games of the 2022 season.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Carr "will be part of the process" as he holds a no-trade clause in his contract.

Carr and his agent both issued statements after Rapoport's reporting:

While the public messaging indicated the Raiders had not given up on Carr as their franchise quarterback, their actions said otherwise. They sat him and allowed him to be away from the team for the final two games of the season in favor of Jarrett Stidham.

Las Vegas will have to make a decision on Carr's future quickly. His $32.9 million salary for the 2023 season along with $7.5 million of his 2024 salary becomes guaranteed Feb. 15. It's likely any team that trades for Carr will want to rework that deal to lower his cap hit for next season, so all of those machinations have to be in place quickly.

Vic Tafur of The Athletic noted the Raiders will release Carr outright if a deal can't be reached by the guarantee date.

Carr, a 2014 second-round pick, will leave the franchise as the all-time leader in nearly every passing category. His 35,222 passing yards are nearly double that of any other Raiders quarterback, and his 217 passing touchdowns are 67 more than any other signal-caller.

That said, Carr is coming off arguably his worst season as a starter since his rookie year despite the Raiders acquiring Davante Adams last March. He threw for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, setting a career high in interception rate (2.8 percent).