The Raiders have benched Derek Carr. Head coach Josh McDaniels made the announcement at his Wednesday press conference.
Derek Carr : Benched | why was benched | College
On April 12, 2022, Carr signed a three-year, $121.5 million contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders, including a no-trade clause.
Carr became the fifth-ranked NFL quarterback in 2022 season for average annual salary ($40.5 milion) and the eighth-ranked for overall contract value.
In Week 1, Carr threw for 295 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in a 19–24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Carr’s first win of the season came in Week 4 in a 32–23 win against the Denver Broncos where he threw for 188 yards and completed 21 of his 34 passes.
Derek Carr Benched
Coach Josh McDaniels is making a change at quarterback, announcing Wednesday that Derek Carr has been benched for backup Jarrett Stidham for the remainder of the year.
McDaniels left the door open for a QB swap after Week 16’s narrow loss to the Steelers, and now it’s official: Carr is out as Las Vegas’ signal-caller, and perhaps for good.
“We think it’s an opportunity to evaluate a younger player who hasn’t had much time to play,” McDaniels told reporters. “Talking to Derek, who was great, he understands the scenario that we’re in (and is) very supportive. … There’s a lot to be sorted through once the season’s over.”
Per NFL Media, Carr will step away for the final two games of the regular season to avoid distractions. He will not practice, and will be listed as “not injury related.”
A three-time Pro Bowler who has thrown for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this year, Carr had started started 91 consecutive games for the Raiders, the longest active streak by any QB in the NFL.
The veteran just this offseason signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension tying him to Las Vegas through 2025, and was a catalyst for the team’s blockbuster acquisition of wide receiver Davante Adams.
But he’s been less efficient than usual under McDaniels, struggling to elevate a mercurial offense, and finish games in which Las Vegas has led, during a 6-9 start.
Why was Derek carr benched
The Las Vegas Raiders reportedly benched quarterback Derek Carr in part because they don’t want to risk injury before pursuing a potential trade this offseason.
“None of us is happy with where we’re at, but we think it’s an opportunity to evaluate a younger player who hasn’t had much time to play,” McDaniels said. “Talking to Derek — who was great — he understands the scenario that we’re in and the situation. Very supportive of the two young guys. Those three guys have worked together hand in hand all year. He’ll do anything he can to help them.”
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Carr will not practice and will be listed as “not injury related.” As part of the conversations over the last few days, both sides concluded it was best for Carr to step away the final two games to avoid being a distraction, Rapoport added.
Sitting Carr is not quite the Silver and Black waving the white flag, but it’s close. The Raiders are still mathematically alive in the playoff hunt, but need a number of games elsewhere to go their way in order to reach the postseason.
McDaniels’ decision to turn to Stidham suggests the Raiders are more interested in seeing what else they have on their roster at quarterback than pursuing an unlikely playoff berth. It also indicates they might be ready to move on from Carr, even if McDaniels won’t outright say it at this point in the year.
“It’s more about the opportunity,” McDaniels explained. “We’re all accountable to where we’re at, and I think this is more about an opportunity to see a guy that we haven’t seen play in a situation like this against a couple of good teams, really good teams.
College
Carr enrolled as an early-entry freshman for the spring semester at Fresno State, where his brother David also played quarterback, in 2009 so he could participate in spring football with the Bulldogs.
Then–Fresno State head coach Pat Hill stated that Carr, a true freshman, was “in the mix” for the starting quarterback position as late as mid-July.
| GP | GS | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Fresno State | 4 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 71.4 | 112 | 0 | 0 | 138.6 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2011 | Fresno State | 13 | 13 | 279 | 446 | 62.2 | 3,544 | 26 | 9 | 144.5 | 57 | 72 | 1.2 | 3 |
| 2012 | Fresno State | 13 | 13 | 344 | 511 | 67.3 | 4,104 | 37 | 7 | 155.9 | 66 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2013 | Fresno State | 13 | 13 | 454 | 659 | 68.9 | 5,083 | 50 | 8 | 156.3 | 40 | 117 | 2.9 | 2 |
| Career | 43 | 39 | 1,087 | 1,630 | 66.7 | 12,843 | 113 | 24 | 152.8 | 164 | 190 | 1.2 | 5 | |
However, days before the 2009 season began in September, Hill announced junior Ryan Colburn would start over Carr. Carr appeared in five games as a freshman in limited action.
Colburn continued to be the Bulldogs’ starter going into 2010. After redshirting his 2010 season, Carr took over the starting quarterback position for Fresno State in the fall of 2011
Going into the season, Carr had a new head coach in Tim DeRuyter, who replaced the fired Pat Hill. Carr helped lead the Bulldogs to a significant improvement, going 9–4 in 2012.
Going into the season, Davante Adams was coming off a redshirt and he instantly became a reliable target for Carr.
Carr helped lead the Bulldogs to a 11–2 record in the 2013 season. The 11 wins marked the most for the Bulldogs since 2001.
Carr received the 2013 CFPA Elite QB Award for his performance over three seasons at Fresno State. He joined fellow Bakersfield native Phillip Thomas as the school’s second CFPA winner.