3 veteran quarterbacks Raiders need to replace Derek Carr with

With his benching for the remainder of the season, Derek Carr’s time with the Las Vegas Raiders has is seemingly ending. Here are three quarterbacks the team can replace him with.

The Las Vegas Raiders have all but eliminated themselves from playoff contention in Week 16. Despite holding a late 10-6 lead, the Raiders ended up losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10, bringing their record to 6-9 with two games remaining. For those wondering if the Raiders were going to try to win out to have hopes at a playoff spot, that won’t be the case for head coach Josh McDaniels’ team.

On Wednesday, the Raiders announced that they would be benching starting quarterback Derek Carr for the remainder of the season. Jarrett Stidham, former New England Patriots draft pick, will start in his place for the final two weeks.

This decision could be foreshadowing as to what the Raiders will be doing at the end of the season. Despite the fact that general manager Dave Ziegler signed Carr to a three-year, $121.5 million contract, the team has a way to get out of it without a heavy penalty. They would have to cut or trade Carr before Feb. 15. If they do, they’ll receive a $5.6 million cap hit. If not, he’ll be guaranteed $33 million for the 2023 season.

If the Raiders decide that they would like to move on from Carr and find a new starting quarterback, here are three veteran options they could target.

3 quarterbacks Raiders should replace Derek Carr with in 2023: No. 3 Jimmy Garoppolo

Given that McDaniels will be returning for the 2023 season, it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing in the world if he were to bring in a quarterback who knows his offensive system. It just so happens that Jimmy Garoppolo will be available in free agency this upcoming offseason.

Garoppolo was seemingly on his way out of San Francisco, as the 49ers were ready to pivot to second-year quarterback Trey Lance. Ultimately, he stayed after the team couldn’t find a trade partner. Reaching a mutual agreement paid off, as Lance suffered a fractured ankle in Week 2, ending his season.

Since returning as starter, Garoppolo played well and led the team to victories. In 11 games (10 starts), Garoppolo threw for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just four interceptions while completing 67.2-percent of his passes. In those 10 starts, the 49ers were 7-3.

Garoppolo’s season was paused, however, as he suffered a broken foot. There is a chance that he could return for the playoffs.

At the 2023 league year, Garoppolo will be one of the top quarterback options available. Since McDaniels worked with Garoppolo in New England for four years, it does make sense to link him to Las Vegas.