Derek Carr addresses Pro Bowl appearance in Las Vegas amid Raiders breakup
Derek Carr's Pro Bowl appearance is ironic because Las Vegas hosts the event, but the QB and the Raiders are in the middle of an awkward breakup.
"See you soon, Vegas," Carr said on his Twitter account after Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes declined their Pro Bowl invitations, making him one of three alternate AFC QBs.
Carr threw 14 interceptions in 15 starts, tying for second in the league. Consequently, the Raiders benched Carr after Week 16. He agreed to step away for the rest of the season.
However, the Carr-Raiders split is not an amicable one.
"There has been a snag in the Raiders finding a trade partner for their quarterback," wrote The Athletic's Vic Tafur. "The Raiders have not given Carr's agent permission to speak with other teams."
Denying permission is a paranoid, strategic move since Carr has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he has to lift it to permit a trade.
Meanwhile, Carr's agent, Tim Younger, could speak with other teams and secretly agree to a free-agent deal, hindering Las Vegas' ability to acquire draft picks in a trade centered around Carr.
If the Raiders fail to trade Carr, they must release him before Feb. 15 or his 2023 salary ($32.9 million) kicks in. Releasing him before the deadline incurs a smaller $5.6M cap hit, according to Spotrac.
The Raiders' stubbornness may make a deal cumbersome because Carr holds leverage and letting players communicate during trade talks is common.
It also inadvertently attracts more unwanted attention while Carr participates in Pro Bowl festivities.
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