Derek Carr 'Choosing to Move On,' Won't Discuss Raiders Drama amid Trade Rumors
January 21, 2023
Derek Carr doesn't seem interested in dwelling on the details about being benched by the Las Vegas Raiders for the final two games of the regular season.
In a post on Twitter, Carr explained he is "choosing to move on" amid the ongoing trade rumors rather than talk about the situation with the Raiders.
This comes nine days after Carr posted a goodbye message to Raiders fans and thanked them for their support over the previous nine seasons:
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Carr is expected to be traded "earlier rather than later" this offseason.
Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels announced on Dec. 28 that Jarrett Stidham was starting the final two games of the season.
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Carr and the Raiders decided it "was best" if he stepped away and wasn't with the team for those two games to avoid being a distraction.
Benching Carr did allow the Raiders to avoid having his $32.9 million base salary in 2023 become fully guaranteed if he had gotten injured in either of the last two games.
Carr has been the Raiders' starting quarterback since he was drafted with the 36th pick in 2014. The three-time Pro Bowler led the team to two playoff appearances, though he wasn't available for their 2016 postseason game after suffering a fractured fibula in Week 16.
The Raiders went 63-79 in 142 games with Carr as their starter. They finished a disappointing 6-11 this season.