Derek Carr is officially free.
The Las Vegas Raiders released the quarterback from his contract on Tuesday, making him a free agent. He can begin negotiating with teams immediately.
The Raiders were forced to release him Tuesday before $40.4 million in his contract became guaranteed on Wednesday.
By cutting him, the Raiders free up $29.3 million in cap space and it takes them off the hook for the $40.4 million.
Carr, 31, adeptly forced the Raiders’ hand, first by refusing to extend Wednesday’s deadline and then declining to waive his no-trade clause.
“We have a lot of respect for Derek Carr and what he has meant to the Raiders organization for the last nine years,” Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler said in a statement. “Derek has done great things in this league and we’re thankful to have been able to work with him this past year. He is a true professional and we appreciate his hard work in striving to produce the results we all desire. We wish Derek and his family all the best in the future.”
Carr is expected to draw the most interest from the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. He gets a jump on other free agent quarterbacks — namely Jimmy Garoppolo — who can’t sign with any team until the start of the new league year March 15.
The New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also in the market for a QB. The Panthers, however, are the favorites to land Carr.
The Raiders are favored to land Aaron Rodgers if the longtime Green Bay Packers star is dealt.
In his nine seasons with the Raiders, Carr has played for six head coaches, gone 63-79 as a starter and taken the team to the playoffs twice without a win. He didn’t play in the 2016 season postseason game due to a broken leg.
Carr set franchise records of 35,222 yards and 217 touchdowns. He is a four-time Pro Bowl selection, including this season when he passed for 3,522 yards, 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
A second-round pick in the 2014 draft out of Fresno State, Carr signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension last spring that included the no-trade clause and an out for the team.
The only quarterback under contract for the Raiders currently is Chase Garbers. Jarrett Stidham, who started the final two games of the 2022 season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
–Field Level Media
