Raiders to begin searching for Derek Carr trade partners

The Las Vegas Raiders finished with a 6-11 record and in third place in the AFC West this season. The Raiders are expected to look for a new quarterback for the future as Derek Carr has fallen out of favor with the team. Expectations were high in the preseason, but due to his performance, Carr was benched at the end of the year, even when the Raiders still had playoff hopes.

A trade isn’t necessarily imminent, as Carr has a no-trade clause and would need to approve any potential deal. There is also a deadline by which the deal would need to be done. On Feb. 15, the remaining $40.4 million over two years of Carr’s contract would become fully guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport. It seems Carr expects to be donning a new jersey next season, bidding farewell to the Raiders and their fans on Twitter on Thursday morning. His agent followed with a message describing Carr’s relationship with the Raiders as “effectively finished.”

The Indianapolis Colts have the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook of acquiring Carr at +400. He would become their sixth new starting quarterback for Week 1 in as many seasons if that were to happen. The New York Jets (+400), Tennessee Titans (+600), Washington Commanders (+900) and New England Patriots (+950) round out the teams with the top-5 odds to trade for Carr.

It seemed like Carr was in line for a solid season in 2022 after Las Vegas acquired his former college teammate Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers. Adams had his usual productive season, making 100 catches for 1,516 yards and 14 TDs. Unfortunately, it didn't translate to wins, and it feels like Carr may end up being the fall guy for the performance of the team overall.

Carr finished the season completing 60.8% of passes for 3,522 yards with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 games. Unless his new team re-works his deal, Carr will be under contract through the 2025 season. The quarterback is set to carry a $33 million cap hit in 2023, followed by $42 million in 2024 and $41.3 million in 2025. He has played all nine seasons of his career with the Raiders, but could benefit from a fresh start. It remains to be seen what kind of trade package Las Vegas is looking for in return for Carr.