The Las Vegas Raiders may draft a quarterback in 2023

On Wednesday, it was announced that the Las Vegas Raiders would be benching and inactivating Derek Carr. They are now players to draft a quarterback.  For years it seemed like the Raiders were always rumored to want to move off of Derek Carr.

Now, that seems to be coming true, as the team’s decision on Wednesday could signal the end of a nine year stretch in Las Vegas/Oakland.  After a promising 10-7 season in 2021, the 6-9 Raiders look totally lost and Derek Carr has not played well.

He’s thrown 24 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and has earned an 86 passer rating in the process.  He has not been particularly good the past two seasons, and it seems as if Vegas has had enough.

You’d think that because they are still mathematically alive in the playoffs that they’d stick with Carr since he’s the best option on their roster.  However, it’s clear that the Las Vegas Raiders are playing the long game with this decision, and part of that could involve selecting a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Currently, the Raiders pick 9th overall, which might not be high enough to select one of the top passers.  The team will turn to Jarrett Stidham, who is nothing more than a second or third string caliber quarterback.

It’s clear that Las Vegas is trying to earn the highest draft pick that they can in hopes they fall in love with and select one in several months.  They also are putting Carr out of harm’s way in case they end up trading the player.

Ensuring his health would be the first order of business if and when the Raiders get to the point of trying to trade Carr.  Whether it be a trade or outright release, the financials remain the same in both scenarios for Vegas.

This is an interesting and likely fluid situation that I think can end with them taking a quarterback in April’s draft.