Las Vegas Raiders Could Replace Derek Carr In 2020 Free Agency If Right Quarterback Is Available

Derek Carr is under contract for three more seasons, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the Las Vegas Raiders starter in 2020. General manager Mike Mayock said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team will consider making an upgrade at every position, even quarterback.

“Derek played at a high level last season,” Mayock told reporters Tuesday. “I'm very happy with Derek. But as I've said before, we will evaluate every position on our roster, and if there's a chance to upgrade, we will look into that.”

Mayock praised Carr for playing well in the 2019 season, noting that the quarterback completed 70% of his passes, had almost a 3:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and led the league’s 11th ranked offense. The Raiders were 24th in scoring defense.

The GM also pointed out that the Raiders were only 24th in points scored, and plenty of insiders believe Las Vegas has a legitimate interest in acquiring a quarterback to replace Carr.

The Raiders are expected to pursue Tom Brady in free agency. Philip Rivers has also been linked to his former rival.

Carr finished last season eighth with 4,054 passing yards and was one of nine quarterbacks to post a triple-digit passer rating (100.8). Only Drew Brees completed a higher percentage of passes than Carr.

Carr’s yards, rating and completion percentage were career-highs. He also set a personal mark with 7.9 yards per attempt.

Those stats didn’t translate into many victories for the Raiders, who went 7-9 in their final season in Oakland. The Raiders were in the AFC wild-card race before losing five of their last six games, averaging 12.8 points in those losses.

Carr has had one winning season since becoming the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2014. He’s never won a playoff game, going 39-55 with a career 90.7 passer rating.