Did the Las Vegas Raiders end up winning their trade from earlier in the offseason? If you recall, the New England Patriots sent Jarrett Stidham to the Raiders in exchange for a sixth-round pick. As a result, Josh McDaniels was able to secure his desired backup signal-caller in his first season as Raiders head coach. Though the team fell short of expectations, the future looks bright (possibly) for Stidham. Of course, that doesn’t come without a caveat, as Derek Carr is now on the way out, at least according to his brother.
The Patriots gave Jarrett Stidham away to the Raiders. (Trade was Stidham and a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick.) And Stidham looks better against the 49ers today than Mac Jones has looked at any point this season.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) January 1, 2023
There was no way anyone outside of maybe McDaniels (and Mark Davis) could’ve foreseen Stidham’s success. Mind you, when the season started, fans were expecting a remarkable year from Carr. Instead, he once again underwhelmed as the Raiders’ starting quarterback. So much so, the Raiders opted to have him sit at home for the last two games. In his stead, McDaniels handed the keys to the car to Stidham. Trust me, no pun intended. Looking back now, you could start to say the Patriots made the wrong call. Let’s be honest, Mac Jones doesn’t exactly scream “franchise quarterback” either.
Raiders landed Jarrett Stidham for a sixth rounder, meanwhile Derek Carr now sits at home.
The trade itself has some long-term ramifications. Say the Raiders never acquired Stidham. Would McDaniels have confidently handed over the offense to another quarterback? The Raiders had Nick Mullens, a journeyman, as the only logical backup prior to Stidham’s arrival. Now, after just one game, there’s talk that Stidham should be in a quarterback battle next season.
Also lost in the shuffle are the picks themselves. For the Raiders, general manager Dave Ziegler hit it out of the park last April with a seventh-round choice in Thayer Munford. Raiders fans can only hope lightning strikes twice in a row. Can you imagine if the Raiders swindled the Patriots for a QB1 and a long-term contributor with that draft pick? This will be a conversation that could possibly be revisited next year.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/Matt York
