Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels is facing a tough decision amid calls from fans and now the media to bench Derek Carr. The conundrum with sidelining Carr is that it is effectively throwing in the towel for the 2022 season. Which route should the besieged coach take? It seems like McDaniels has put himself in a lose-lose situation.
Here’s the thing: if McDaniels rides out the final two games with Carr and still misses the postseason, fans will say he played himself out of a top-10 pick. Likewise, you’re also playing with fire by trotting out Carr at this point. Why is that? Well, if Carr gets hurt during that span, McDaniels and the Raiders are on the hook for his salary. As Maurice Moton of Sportsnaut pointed out, let’s say Carr gets hurt; the quarterback would lock in his guaranteed money for 2023 and 2024. Also, let’s not forget that, assuming Carr is fine after these two games, the Raiders will need to decide by February 15 if he’s the long-term answer or not.
Benching Derek Carr means Josh McDaniels is waving the white flag
McDaniels navigated the questions surrounding Carr very well this week. He’s not committing to him but, at the same time, hasn’t ruled out a change.
“I think there’s a possibility that we would do the right thing, regardless of the position, in terms of the team.”
“The right thing,” he says. No offense to Jarrett Stidham but starting him means the 2022 season is a wash. Believe it or not, the possibility of the playoffs still exists for the Silver and Black. However, as most fans are aware, the Raiders need to win out in order for any scenario to realistically play out. It’s a tough decision that’s going to have far-reaching implications, if we’re being honest. Perhaps the Raiders’ brass has seen enough, and they wish to start over with a new plan at quarterback. Even so, this current brain trust did once say that they were trying to “win now.”
If that’s the case, you ride out Carr until the wheels fall off, no pun intended.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/Don Wright
