Well, it finally happened. For the first time in his professional career, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is headed to the bench.
The Silver and Black faced high expectations for the 2022 NFL season. This was for a litany of reasons. A new brain trust that came in back in January quickly made a splash. General manager Dave Ziegler moved with haste to acquire superstar receiver (and Carr’s close friend) Davante Adams. In addition, vaunted pass rusher Chandler Jones was also picked up. To say that these acquisitions amplified expectations is putting it mildly. Carr was, by all accounts, expected to have a magical season with such an arsenal of weapons.
Raiders QB Jarrett Stidham to start rest of season. pic.twitter.com/bn4ecmMWdC
— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2022
Unfortunately, a few months later, Raider Nation may have seen the last of Carr as the Raiders’ quarterback. It surely wasn’t an easy decision for head coach Josh McDaniels, even more so when you take into account that the playoffs are still a possibility.
In regard to both the immediate and long-term future of the quarterback position, McDaniels was quite forthright in his announcement. Backup and former New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham will now take over. As the head coach stated, it’ll give the Raiders a chance to see what they have in No. 3 moving forward; “it’s an opportunity to evaluate a younger player.”
Obviously, neither McDaniels nor Ziegler will be sharing their vision or plan anytime soon. One has to wonder what exactly is going to happen with Carr. On that front, McDaniels was ambiguous, as one can expect at this current juncture of the season: “There is a lot to be sorted once the season is over.”
It’s an odd feeling that’s likely circulating throughout Raider Nation at the moment. For years, some have been vocal about their disdain for Carr for a variety of reasons. Others have vehemently defended No. 4, flaws be damned.
Then, you have a larger majority that just wants to see their team, the Raiders, win, not necessarily a lone player. Let’s be honest here: none of the three groups are happy at the moment as the team clings to their playoff lives. It’ll be interesting to revisit this chapter in Raiders history a few years from now.