LAS VEGAS (AP) — Quarterback Derek Carr said Thursday in his first public comment since being benched. Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels says he is ready for the challenge of playing in a new city.
“You said you should stay home if you’re not a Raider, and I meant it, but I never thought it would end like this.” Posted by Carr on Twitter“That fire that’s burning inside me to win a championship is still burning. A fire that no one can put out. Only God. I’m looking forward to the new cities and new teams we can get.”
Kerr started 142 games over nine seasons with the Raiders, bringing stability to a franchise that had 17 starting quarterbacks in 11 years before arriving as a second-round pick in 2014.
Kerr led the Raiders to playoff berths in 2016 and 2021 and holds multiple team records, including career-high passing yards (35,222) and passing touchdowns (217). However, he also had the third-most starts on a single team during the Super Bowl era as a quarterback who never won a playoff game for the team.
Kerr struggled in his first year under McDaniels and was benched with two weeks left in the regular season despite star receiver and close friend Davante Adams joining the offense.
Kerr had the lowest scoring percentage (60.6%) and passer rate (86.3) since his rookie season, but had the highest interception percentage (2.8%) and lowest single-attempt yards (7.0%) since 2017. ) was recorded.
Ultimately, McDaniels and first-year General Manager Dave Ziegler decided to leave Carr less than a year after signing a three-year extension. $120.5 million.
A deal signed last April would have allowed Kerr to raise $5 million in funding in 2022, but could have missed Las Vegas this offseason. The Raiders have until Feb. 15 to release Kerr or pay him $32.9 million in 2023 salary, which guarantees him $7.5 million out of his $41.9 million salary in 2024.
The Raiders can try to reach an agreement on Kerr’s trade by that deadline, but the deal cannot be finalized until March 15, when the new league year begins. After that, the team that acquires Kerr will take over the rest of his contract, which includes guaranteed 2023-24 and his $41.2 million salary in 2025 non-guaranteed.
Carr has a no-trade clause in his deal, allowing him to control the destination. This would force the Raiders to simply cut him, saving him more than $29 million while absorbing his $5.6 million in salary for 2023.
“Derek’s tenure with the Raiders has effectively ended,” Kerr’s agent Tim Younger said. Post to Twitter“The relationship ends, but remains a treasure trove of memories and friendships, along with a very special bond with his fans, as is the case here.”
“Teams are always looking for franchise players to fully invest themselves, as Derek has done for nearly a decade. It’s his true legacy here.”
Kerr thanked fans and organizations in Las Vegas and Oakland.
“It’s especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say I gave[the fans]everything I had every day, both in season and offseason,” Kerr wrote. “It certainly wasn’t perfect, but I hope it left you with some great memories as a Raider fan.”
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