A three-time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback will be with a new team next season. On Thursday, Derek Carr announced he’s leaving the Las Vegas Raiders after nine seasons with the team. This comes after he was benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham before the team’s Week 17 game.
“Raider Nation it breaks my heart I didn’t get an opportunity to say goodbye in person,” Carr wrote in the social media post. “We certainly have been on a roller coaster in our 9 years together. From the bottom of my heart, I am grateful and appreciative of the years of support you gave to my family and me. We had our share of both heartbreaking moments and thrilling game-winning drives and it always felt like you were there next to me.
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“It’s especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say that I gave you everything I had, every single day, in season, and in the offseason. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but I hope that I was able to leave you with more than a few great memories as Raider fans.”
Carr signed a contract extension with the Raiders in 2022. However, the details of the contract make it possible for the Raiders to trade or cut Carr before June 1 as the dead cap number is just $5.6 million, according to NFL.com. The plan for the Raiders to evaluate the trade market as they prepare to decide on Carr, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Carr was selected by the Raiders in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and led the Raiders to playoffs twice in his nine seasons. In 2022, Carr finished the season with 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a 60.8 completion percentage.
“Thank you to the city of Oakland for taking us in,” Carr said. “Thank you to the city of Las Vegas for allowing us to proudly call you home. Thank you to the organization, my teammates, all my coaches, staff, and everyone that helped me these last 9 years in those 2 buildings. Thanks to all of Raider Nation that supported, encouraged, pushed, and uplifted me at different times along this journey. Raider Nation truly is special.”
