The Las Vegas Raiders are entering their third consecutive season with a new starting quarterback. After failed experiments with Jimmy Garoppolo and Gardner Minshew, both of which resulted in being replaced by Aidan O'Connell, the team brought in Geno Smith this offseason to steady the ship.
It was not long ago, however, that the Raiders had Derek Carr under center for nearly a decade. While his tenure was largely marked by mediocrity and falling short of expectations, he was dependable and absolutely loved playing for the Silver and Black.
After his sudden benching and release at the end of the 2022 NFL season, however, he went to play for the New Orleans Saints for two years. That era quickly came to an end, as he retired from football this offseason. A return to the Raiders in some capacity, however, is not out of the question.
Derek Carr wants to return to Raiders' sideline in 2025
Carr recently spoke to Shannon Kelly, a TV reporter in Nevada. He admitted that he had already spoken to Raiders owner Mark Davis about potentially coming to a game in Las Vegas and hanging out on the sidelines as soon as this season.
"I've already talked to Mr. Davis, we've already talked, Mark's already called me," Carr said. "We're gonna talk and figure out what that looks like and when that looks like. But I can't wait to get back to a Raiders game and get down there on the sideline and see the fans again, that's my place."
"I love Pete Carroll... On offense you know they're gonna run the football, obviously with their draft pick, even though he's a Boise State Bronco, I'll look past that he's a Raider now so we're family"
— Shannon Kelly (@shannonkelly_tv) July 12, 2025
Derek Carr on the new era of Raiders football #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/W8CSD8CEdf
While it would certainly be weird to see Carr on the Raiders' sideline and not in uniform, perhaps it could be healing for Raider Nation. He was the most divisive player for the fan base in recent memory, but his unwavering commitment to the Silver and Black in his post-playing days could reunite people.
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Carr is already working to get into the good graces of the new regime, as he told Shannon in the same interview that he is a fan of both new head coach Pete Carroll and running back Ashton Jeanty.
"I love Pete Carroll. I've always loved him, always admired him from afar," Carr said. "His guys play super aggressive, super fast on defense. ... On offense, you know they're gonna run the football, obviously with their draft pick, even though he's a Boise State Bronco, I'll look past that he's a Raider now, so we're family."
This season, the Raiders will play nine games at Allegiant Stadium, and it should not shock anyone to see Carr back on the sideline. After all, the man was drafted by the franchise and gave nine years to the Silver and Black, and Raider Nation understands better than anyone how hard it is to give up on the Shield.