Raiders GM Dave Ziegler talks of ‘emotion involved’ in team’s benching of Derek Carr

Las Vegas Raiders general manager spoke to the team’s digital media team about Derek Carr, who was benched for the final two games of the 2022 NFL season.

He understood “the quarterback is the most important position on the team,” but also cited it was a “difficult decision” to sit the veteran.

“There is emotion involved in that,” Ziegler said. “But you have also had to make tough decisions in this business. So an opportunity for us with two games to go with where our record was at the time, and to get an opportunity to look at two young quarterbacks, Jarrett (Stidham) and Chase (Garbers), to have them kind of have to step up and roll and step up in responsibility and step up in terms of the leadership aspect of the team.”

Prior to the next-to-last game of the season, against the San Francisco 49ers, the Raiders informed Carr that he would not play in the final two games. He was listed as inactive on game day against the 49ers and this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The team decided it wasn’t worth the risk even to have Carr fill a backup role for the final two games.

If Carr were to get injured working out or in a game, the team would be on the hook for $33 million owed in 2023 and $7.5 million for 2024. The Raiders have until Feb. 15 to cut Carr or his contract is guaranteed.

Carr had started 92 consecutive games, including last season’s AFC wild-card game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Carr has started 142 out of a possible 144 regular-season games in his nine seasons with the Raiders.

“It’s really invaluable for us to see a true evaluation of everybody in that room,” Ziegler said. “The most important position in football is to make sure that we understand exactly what we have going forward or questions what we have and and make some decisions on how to solidify that room going forward. This was an opportunity for us to do that.”