“It breaks my heart that I didn’t get to say goodbye in person. Winning a championship is what I’ve always wanted and what I will continue to work towards,” said Derek Carr. The veteran quarterback was benched by the Las Vegas Raiders for their final two games, both of which they lost, finishing 6-11 overall.
Derek Carr, the quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, announced his departure from the organisation on Thursday in a lengthy social media message. He began by writing, “It breaks my heart,” but he then clarified that he would not be retiring.
Carr said in the statement: “I never imagined it ending this way, but I once said that if I’m not a Raider, I would rather be at home.
“I still harbour a fierce desire to win a championship. A fire no man can extinguish; only God.
“So I look forward to a new city and a new team who, no matter the circumstance, will get everything I have. Winning a championship is what I’ve always wanted and what I will continue to work towards.”
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier on Thursday that the Raiders have initiated the process of evaluating Carr’s trade market, thus ending his time with the team.
Carr had agreed to a three-year, $121.5 million contract extension with Las Vegas during the offseason; however, if the Raiders are unable to find a trade partner, they can terminate Carr for just a $5.625 million salary-cap hit three days prior to the Super Bowl.
The contract extension had presumably coupled Carr with new Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels for the foreseeable future, while the purchase of his former Fresno State college team-mate Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers had some picking the Raiders to make headlines in 2022.
Rather of starting for the last two games of the season, which they lost 6-11, Carr was benched. The 31-year-old had left the team to avoid being a “distraction.”
“It breaks my heart I didn’t get an opportunity to say goodbye in person,” Carr’s statement read. “We certainly have been on a roller coaster in our 9 years together. “From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful and appreciative of the years of support you gave to my family and me. “We had our share of both heart breaking moments and thrilling game winning drives, and it always felt like you were there next to me. “It’s especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say that I gave you everything I had, every single day, in season, and in the off season.
Carr joined the Raiders as a second-round pick in 2014, throwing for 35,222 yards, 217 touchdowns and 99 interceptions in 142 games for the franchise. He played in his only postseason game for Las Vegas in 2021, losing in the wild card round to the Cincinnati Bengals, who ultimately went on to reach the Super Bowl before losing to the Los Angeles Rams. Carr’s career with the Raiders included three-straight Pro Bowl trips (2015-2017), but he also suffered through the lows of six losing seasons in his nine-year tenure.
