Derek Carr won’t waive no-trade clause before deadline

It’s the day after Super Bowl LVII, and the Kansas City Chiefs are celebrating their second Lombardi Trophy of the Patrick Mahomes-Andy Reid era. For the Raiders, yesterday’s Super Bowl marked the beginning of crunch time for their looming decision on QB Derek Carr’s future. Carr has been likely to be released or traded on or before Feb. 15 for many weeks now, but on the biggest Sunday of the NFL season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport reported that Carr won’t waive his no-trade clause and is expected to become a free agent.

Derek Carr recently visited with the New Orleans Saints, but at the very least, he will not be joining them via trade. They remain a suitor for Carr, however, when he is inevitably released from the Raiders.

The Carr situation is a messy one, and it’s never going to be pretty when a franchise shows the door to their all-time leading passer in the way that this situation has played out. Carr and the Raiders both agreed to this potential out in his contract when he signed his extension in 2022, as well as the no-trade clause, but it was far from the ideal outcome for both parties.

There are no real winners in the situation, as the Raiders will now be forced to let Carr walk without receiving trade compensation, and Carr will likely need to settle for less money in free agency than he would’ve received from the remainder of his current Raiders contract.

One could say it was good business for the Raiders, however, who are able to move on from Carr without a hefty cap penalty, a harsh reality that has buried the hopes of several NFL franchises in recent years who have moved on from veteran quarterbacks. The Raiders now have the freedom to address the quarterback position the way they see fit, and Carr can sign the contract of his choosing with the preferred franchise for his future.

The Raiders hold the 7th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and may be courting four-time league MVP and Super Bowl champion quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Raiders WR Davante Adams is not being shy about his recruitment efforts for Rodgers, his former teammate who may be unsettled in Green Bay. If not Rodgers or a top-10 draft pick to take over the Raiders quarterback job, watch for the Raiders to make a move in the veteran quarterback market in the coming weeks and months.