Two weeks and one day after being benched by the Las Vegas Raiders, quarterback Derek Carr broke his silence and said goodbye to the team’s fans in a social media statement Thursday.

Carr had been the Raiders’ starting quarterback since being drafted in the second round of the NFL draft in 2014.

“It breaks my heart I didn’t get an opportunity to say goodbye in person “Carr wrote despite keeping away from the squad for its final two games in order to avoid becoming a nuisance. “In our 9 years together, we’ve undoubtedly been on a roller coaster. I am grateful and appreciative of your years of support to my family and me from the bottom of my heart. We had our share of heartbreaking times as well as amazing game-winning drives, and it always felt like you were right there with me.

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“It’s extremely difficult to say goodbye because I can honestly say that I gave you everything I had, every day, in season and out. It wasn’t flawless, but I hope I was able to leave you with more than a few excellent Raider memories.”

 

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Carr, who signed a five-year, $125 million contract agreement with the Raiders in 2017 and a three-year, $121.5 million extension this spring, stated that he would return to the team in 2021 “If I had to play for someone else, I’d definitely stop football. I’ve spent my entire life as a Raider. For the rest of my life, I’m going to root for one team: the Raiders. So I just know in my heart that I don’t need a flawless setting… to make things right.

“I’d rather go down with the ship, you know what I’m saying, if I have to.”

Carr recognized such thoughts in his latest statement, but said he was looking forward to playing for another NFL team.

“I meant that,” he wrote, “but I never envisioned it ending this way. That fire burning inside of me to win a championship still rages.”

Carr’s most recent contract contained a no-trade clause and the right for the Raiders to cut him within three days before the Super Bowl for a relatively small $5.625 salary-cap charge.

The Raiders’ power in a trade could be diminished by Thursday’s announcement. Carr, whose contract guarantees him $40 million if he remains with the Raiders or agrees to a trade by Feb. 15, could just wait for the Raiders to release him and go free agent, with Las Vegas receiving nothing in return.

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Trades cannot be finalize until March 15. So, if the Raiders do locate a trade partner for Derek Carr, not only must the quarterback agree to the destination, but the Raiders must also believe that the other team will not back out. So, while Carr’s talents may be in high demand, his trade value to the Raiders may not be as high as it once was.

Earlier this week, first-year coach Josh McDaniels stated that he planned to speak with Derek Carr.

“Once again, we have a fantastic relationship,” McDaniels remarked. “He’s accomplished a lot of wonderful things, and anything to the contrary is false. So we’ll look forward to that, and, as I previously stated, there will be some time between now and then.”

Derek Carr, who turns 32 on March 28, stayed away from the team as Jarrett Stidham started the Raiders’ final two games: an overtime loss to the NFC’s No. 2 seed, the San Francisco 49ers, and a loss to the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Carr completed with 3,522 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in 15 games with the Raiders, who went 6-11. Since his debut season, he has also had the lowest passer rating (86.3) and completion percentage (60.8%). His interception percentage of 2.8% was also a career high.

Derek Carr holds the Raiders franchise career records for passing yards (35,222), touchdown passes (217), sacks (264), fourth-quarter comebacks (28), game-winning drives (33) and quarterback starts (142), while also tossing 99 interceptions, which ranks third in franchise history. His career record is 63-79, and he has only played in one playoff game, a 26-19 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the wild-card stage last season after throwing a last-second interception just short of the goal line.