The Las Vegas Raiders opted to part ways with veteran quarterback Derek Carr before the end of the franchise’s disastrous 2022 season. A measure meant to benefit the team backfired, and the authority behind it is now known.
When the team parted ways with Carr this offseason, team management faced a barrage of criticism. Most of the fans liked him, and he was well-respected in the locker room as a leader who was appreciated for his calming presence during difficult times. Carr’s performance, however, was deemed insufficient by the corporation.
Derek Carr stats 2023: 2,121 passing yards, 89.9 QB rating, 65.5% completion rate, 10-4 TD-INT, 6.7 yards per attempt
Las Vegas Raiders QB stats 2023: 1,958 passing yards, 74.1 QB rating, 63.8% completion rate, 8-13 TD-INT, 6.8 yards per attempt
Las Vegas wanted Tom Brady to replace Carr, but the future Hall of Famer retired and said he would not return. After Brady was ruled out and the team was unable to trade up for the No. 1 overall pick in order to choose Bryce Young, veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo became the single target.
Josh McDaniels, the Raiders’ head coach and de facto general manager, oversaw the Garoppolo signing. He was certain that their time together with the New England Patriots meant Garoppolo would understand and thrive in the system. Instead, Garoppolo struggled and was benched when McDaniels was fired in Las Vegas.
While McDaniels has received the brunt of the blame for the Raiders’ problems and was unpopular among players, it appears he was not the driving force behind the Carr split.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Raiders owner Mark Davis spearheaded the effort to replace Carr after the end of the 2022 season.
According to reports, Las Vegas was aware that moving its former franchise quarterback would be difficult. Former team president Dan Ventrelle added a no-trade clause in Carr’s original contract extension in 2023. Carr was forced to be released by the Raiders due to that condition, which prevented any deal from being made in Las Vegas.
According to media accounts, many people in Las Vegas are relieved McDaniels has been fired. Furthermore, team sources have told reporters that McDaniels was behind many of the offseason deals that didn’t pan out.
However, according to Rapoport’s story, Davis was ultimately responsible for pushing Carr out, and the move happened after he persuaded McDaniels. Given Davis’s history of involvement in football operations, probable head coach and general manager candidates might want assurances Davis will not be as involved moving forward.
