Will the Las Vegas Raiders move on from Derek Carr in 2023?

The Las Vegas Raiders made substantial changes this past offseason with the hope of putting together a memorable 2022 campaign. 

Eight games into their season, it’s been anything but memorable for Josh McDaniels’ team.

The Raiders currently sit at 2-6, good for last place in the AFC West. Superstar wide receiver Davante Adams, who agreed to a five-year, $141.25 million contract with the organization this offseason, recently contended that if the Raiders don’t get him the ball more, they’re wasting his talent.

“At the end of the day, if we’re just going to concede and say, ‘oh, they double-teamed Tae, so it’s forcing the ball to him if we threw it to him,’ then I’ve got no business being in this building, because that’s what teams are going to do,” Adams told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “So, if you think that the only way I’m going to get the ball is when I’m singled up, then I’m going to have four catches on the year.”

Adams has totaled 48 receptions for 658 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns in eight games, but the Raiders offense as a whole has been middle of the pack. They’re averaging 228.1 passing yards (13th in NFL), 110.3 rushing yards (20th), 338.4 total yards (16th) and 22.9 points (15th) per game. The Raiders were recently shutout in a Week 8 loss to the New Orleans Saints, where Adams caught one pass for three yards.

To make matters worse for Las Vegas, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (oblique) and tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) were recently placed on injured reserve.

One of the driving factors in Adams wanting to join the Raiders was his history with Derek Carr, as the two were teammates at Fresno State from 2012-13. Las Vegas sent its first- and second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to the Green Bay Packers for Adams, who then signed that massive contract.

On Friday’s edition of “The Herd,” host Colin Cowherd made the case that the Raiders could move on from Carr in the offseason if things don’t turn around this year.

“The first reason is Derek Carr’s very good, I’ve defended him for years. Davante Adams is elite, top two or three in the league. Teams tend to keep elite over very good,” Cowherd said. “The second reason is Derek’s reputation through the years is he kind of plays it safe, and that’s what Davante Adams is saying: ‘He’s playing it safe.’ That’s not good in 2022 NFL. 

“The third reason is this current Raiders coach and this current Raiders GM, they didn’t draft Derek Carr … they inherited him. And finally, No. 4 is Derek’s dead cap hit next year is tiny. In fact, if the Raiders move off him by June 1, the Raiders save $30 million.”

Carr has totaled 1,880 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and an 88.5 quarterback rating, completing 62.3% of his passes this season. His current completion percentage is a career low since 2015, which was Carr’s second NFL season, and his quarterback rating is a career low since 2017.

The Raiders QB signed a three-year, $121.5 million extension ($65.3 million guaranteed) with the team in April. The deal keeps him under contract through 2025 and includes a full no-trade clause.

Carr and the Raiders will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they host the Indianapolis Colts at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday.

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