With Derek Carr and the Raiders expected to part ways this offseason, it’s been rather surprising how little the veteran quarterback has spoken about the matter publicly. He finally addressed the reason why he has chosen to do so, revealing that he’s turned down a handful of interview opportunities in order to turn the page forward to the next step of his career.
“Thank you to all the people reaching out trying to give me their platform to tell my side of what happened,” Carr wrote on Twitter Saturday. “It’s the hardest thing in the world not to jump on every interview and tell the whole truth. Thank you but I’m choosing to move on and give our next city our best.
Carr’s tweet comes just over a week after reports indicated that three-time Pro Bowler’s days in Las Vegas were numbered. The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported that if the Raiders are unable to trade Carr by Feb. 15, the franchise will release him, ending his nine-year stint with the club.
The same day that Tafur’s report emerged, Carr posted an emotional farewell message on Twitter in what appeared to be a clear goodbye letter to the Raiders’ fanbase.
“Raider Nation, it breaks my heart I didn’t get an opportunity to say goodbye in person,” he wrote. “We certainly have been on a roller coaster in our 9 years together. … 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. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but I hope that I was able to leave you with more than a few great memories as Raider fans.”
The 2022 season proved to be a difficult one for Carr, who led the Raiders to a 6–9 record through 16 weeks before he was benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham in late December. Carr and the team then reportedly mutually agreed that the quarterback would step away for the final two games of the season to not be a distraction. Carr finished the year with 3,522 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and a career-high 14 interceptions in 15 games played.
