Derek Carr's benching could pave path for these free-agent QBs to Vegas
Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels on Wednesday announced the benching of Derek Carr for the remainder of the season, thus making the QB's return to Las Vegas in 2023 unlikely. No other viable starting QB is on the roster, so could impending free agents Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo be in the Raiders' future?
Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer and others are connecting the dots to Las Vegas for Tampa Bay's Brady and San Francisco's Garoppolo.
"The idea that Garoppolo or Brady could land in Vegas is very much on my radar," Breer wrote.
McDaniels and Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler have extensive experience with both QBs.
McDaniels was Brady's offensive coordinator for 13 seasons in New England and Garoppolo's for three. Ziegler was in New England's scouting department from 2013-2019 when Brady and Garoppolo were both there.
The ties could be a selling point for Las Vegas when the QBs hit free agency in 2023.
Former Bucs coach Bruce Arians told longtime NFL reporter Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan.com last month that if Brady returns next season, he believes it will be with Tampa Bay.
Per NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, though, "all options," are on the table for Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion.
If Las Vegas doesn't land Brady, 31-year-old Jimmy Garoppolo is a solid option, especially after the emergence of rookie QB Brock Purdy in San Francisco.
Purdy has a 103.2 passer rating in four starts. It's a small sample size, but a deep playoff run could make him the 49ers' future franchise QB, opening the door for Garoppolo to move on.
Regardless, Carr's benching is a sign that big changes are coming at quarterback for the Raiders.
More must-reads: