Report: Derek Carr Trade Still Viewed As Unlikely

According to Mike Florio, a source with knowledge of the situation still views a trade involving Raiders QB Derek Carr as unlikely. 

Carr has permission from the team to visit the Saints today, who have worked out the framework of a trade with the Raiders.

As for the Raiders’ asking price, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN says it’s “modest.” An NFL source tells Fowler that the Raiders would probably trade Carr for a third-round pick at this point. 

However, Florio notes Carr surely would like to make more than one visit to pick his next team, and logistically the only way that will happen is if he is a free agent. If the Raiders can’t trade him by February 15, they owe him $40 million in guarantees. Las Vegas will cut him before that happens and Carr has a no-trade clause, meaning he controls whether a deal happens. 

The risk for Carr is that he gets less money as a free agent. But Florio points out that if the Saints, or any team, are willing to give up a draft pick and pay Carr $40 million in guarantees, they’d surely be willing to pay more to not give up the pick. 

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 regarding Carr as the news is available.