LAS VEGAS — The Raiders are benching quarterback Derek Carr and will start backup Jarrett Stidham the final two games of the regular season, coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday.
Carr’s 2023 salary of $33 million and $7.5 million of his 2024 salary are injury guaranteed, meaning the Raiders will owe him $40.5 million should he get hurt over the next two weeks, a risk the Raiders seemingly did not want to take.
Carr signed a three-year, $121 million contract last offseason, but the Raiders have an out after this season in which they can either walk away from Carr or trade him while incurring just a $5.9 million hard cap hit.
The out clause has to be executed by Feb. 15, or the 2023 salary and $7.5 million of his 2024 salary would have become fully guaranteed. The Raiders could trade him even if he is on the roster after that deadline.
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