Derek Carr Won’t Retire, Raiders Will Look To Find Trade Partner By Third Day After Super Bowl

Last summer, Raiders QB Derek Carr told reporters he felt like he would rather retire than play for any other team. However, Ian Rapoport reports that now that Carr is faced with the looming expiration date of his time in Las Vegas, he has no plans to follow through with that. 

Rapoport adds Carr is telling people he thinks his best football is in front of him and he’s invigorated by the prospect of change. 

The Raiders benched Carr this week with the intention of preserving his health and trade value for this offseason. $40 million of Carr’s salary over the next two seasons will become guaranteed on the third day after the Super Bowl, so that serves as a deadline for Las Vegas to work out a deal. 

Technically a trade cannot be processed until the start of the league year in March but deals can be agreed to in principle, which Rapoport notes is fairly routine. He also points out Carr has a no-trade clause, so he can control his landing spot and even force the Raiders to cut him to avoid paying him the money if need be. 

Jonathan Jones notes that it was the contract more than Carr’s play on the field that led him to being benched, and the Raiders would be open to having him back at a reduced salary if things shake out the same way they did for the 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo last offseason. 

However, that’s considered highly unlikely, according to both Jones and Rapoport. 

As far as potential compensation, Jones writes the Raiders will ask for a first but don’t have the leverage to get it. A package with multiple Day 2 picks is more likely, which is better than cutting Carr outright and getting nothing back. 

Carr, 31, is a former second-round pick of the Raiders back in 2014. He was in the final year of his contract when the Raiders signed him to a five-year, $125 million extension that included $70 million guaranteed in 2017.

Carr stood to make a base salary of $19.77 million in the final year of his contract and was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension. 

In 2022, Carr appeared in 15 games for the Raiders and completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also rushed for 102 yards.

We’ll have more on Carr as the news is available.