After benching, what’s next for the Raiders’ Derek Carr? | You Pod to Win the Game
Yahoo Sports Charles Robinson and Jori Epstein discuss Josh McDaniels’ decision to bench Derek Carr the final two games of the regular season and start backup Jarrett Stidham. If Carr is no longer in the Raiders’ plans, where could he be playing next season? Hear the full conversation on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
CHARLES ROBINSON: What happens here, with Derek Carr? Because no one- I spoke to a league source, someone very prominent, executive. And what he said to me was, no one's taken on that contract. He's not sure. Because he basically texted me, Carr with the exploding head emoji, what the heck?
JORI EPSTEIN: I love that emoji.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Yeah. And I was like-- and then he said, why do you think-- he said, they're not playing him, and probably not practicing them just to preserve injury. Right? I said, yeah. And he goes, and the next line was, nobody's taking that contract though. OK, so you tell me chances are they could potentially have to cut him. He has a no trade clause in his deal. That extension that he signed does have a one year out. This is the trap door right here, $5.6 million for a cap hit.
But then as you advance it forward, you're looking at 32 million in base salary, then it bumps up to 42 million in base salary. I agree. Most teams probably aren't going to want that. Say he's released. Where do you think, you look out there, he's not washed. There are going to be teams that want him. Where would you put him?
JORI EPSTEIN: That's such a good question, Mike. Running through the teams that might need a quarterback, and I'm like, OK. The Giants, I think that they'd rather have Daniel Jones than Derek Carr. I guess it depends what kind of contract. But I do think it'd be interesting in terms of Brian Daboll's offense. And I think that Derek Carr could have success in that offense. Seahawks, I don't think he's going there.
49ers, I was curious what you would think about that. I mean, because also, if they need someone who's not going to be there that long, you eventually get Trey Lance back [INAUDIBLE] I don't what you're doing with Jimmy. Could he be a bridge to Trey Lance? I'm not saying that they play the same way. But could he be someone who can keep the show running? Again, as we've seen, if Brock Purdy can do it in that offense--
Now the question is, if Brock Purdy can do it in that offense, why do you need a contract like Derek Carr's? But I do think that there's some interest there. Lions would be another one that I think that they just have a lot of talent if they want someone to plug in if they decide not to roll with Goff. What do you think?
CHARLES ROBINSON: I think if we're looking at teams that could put him on the field, and hopefully instantaneously-- and we can't really even count on this anymore after seeing what happened to Russell Wilson in Denver. But in theory, put him on the field and start either just turning the key on in offense, or at least quickly advance the futures of the team, I think Carolina is one that--
There's a lot of talent in Carolina. They're going to be looking for a quarterback. I tend to believe David Tepper is going to want a longer term fix than Derek Carr. He needs-- what Tepper wants to hear is--
JORI EPSTEIN: Also, who's his coach?
CHARLES ROBINSON: Right. Who's his coach? And Tepper wants to hear, this is our quarterback for the next 10 years, 15 years. That's the kind of quarterback that Tepper wants. That's not Derek Carr. The Jets. OK. That's another team that everyone is-- the assumption--
JORI EPSTEIN: Aaron Rodgers isn't going to be there.
CHARLES ROBINSON: I mean, Aaron Rodgers if-- we'll get to Rodgers in a second. If Jimmy Garoppolo is in the default there, which everybody says, look at the staff, look at the familiarity, it makes sense for Jimmy Garoppolo to go there, it's pretty clear, I think at this point, that Zach Wilson is probably done in New York long term. They're going to try to have to figure out how to try to offload him. Can Carr survive? I hate to say this, but it's a inclement weather.
You and I have been in that stadium, right? We've been there. We've seen it. It sucks. It's-- especially when it gets cold. It gets windy, it's crappy, there are a lot of cold-weather games. Rodgers fits perfectly. No question. Guys coming from Green Bay, no issue there whatsoever. Garoppolo had a stint with the Patriots, obviously, in cold weather. So he knows some of that. It gets-- it can get chilly in Santa Clara as well.
But I would say that Carr is the one where I'm like, OK, is he a guy that can hack it in a really cold weather brutal kind of, hey, December on, you're going to have to play some tough games, weather games?
