Raiders Trade Rumors: Teams Believe LV Open to Derek Carr or Marcus Mariota Deal
Feb 7, 2021
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) and quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) up before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Raiders had previously been strongly against dealing Carr, who has been the starting quarterback for the past seven seasons, but the organization now appears "open to considering it in some form or fashion," per NFL Network.
The key for Las Vegas will be finding a replacement "on the same level."
Carr set career highs in 2020 with 4,103 passing yards and a 101.4 quarterback rating, while his 8.2 adjusted yards per attempt rankedeighthin the NFL.
It still wasn't enough to help the Raiders, who finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. The team has reached the postseason just once since Carr was taken in the second round of the 2014 draft.
The 29-year-old has a $22.1 million cap hit for 2021, but the Raiders would save $19.6 million if he is traded or released, perSpotrac. It could allow the organization to move on if it can find a good deal for the quarterback.
Meanwhile, Mariota signed a two-year, $17.6 million deal last offseason that made him one of the highest-paid backups in the league. His cap hit will be$10.7 millionnext season, but none of it is guaranteed. This could mean he'll only stay on the roster if he is the projected starter.
The former Tennessee Titans quarterback appeared in just one game in 2020 but showed his upside with 226 passing yards, 88 rushing yards and two total touchdowns off the bench. He threw 76 passing touchdowns with 44 interceptions across four-plus seasons as the starter in Tennessee before losing his job to Ryan Tannehill in 2019.
Justin Herbert Leads Game-Winning Drive as Chargers Down Mariota, Raiders in OT
Dec 17, 2020
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) celebrates after running back Kalen Ballage scored a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)
The Los Angeles Chargers won back-to-back games for the first time this season, taking down the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27 in overtime on Thursday night at Allegiant Stadium.
A 53-yard pass from Justin Herbert to Jalen Guyton set the Chargers up with a 1st-and-goal at the Raiders' 2-yard line.
Herbert attempted to punch it in on second down but fumbled before crossing the goal line. While the Chargers recovered, they couldn't advance the ball inside the final two minutes. They ran another quarterback keeper, with Herbert breaking the plane on the second go-round.
The result carries big implications for the Raiders, who entered Week 15 one game off the Miami Dolphins for the final wild-card spot in the AFC.
Derek Carr's night ended early as he suffered a groin injury on the Raiders' second drive of the first quarter. Las Vegas initially said he was questionable to return, and Marcus Mariota finished out the game under center. He provided a big spark to the offense, and a quarterback battle might be brewing in Sin City.
The sixth-year veteran tied the game at 24 with a two-yard touchdown run at the 6:16 mark of the fourth quarter.
What a performance from Marcus Mariota.
He ties the game at 24 with 6:16 remaining! #RaiderNation
Michael Badgley missed a 47-yard field goal on Los Angeles' next possession, leaving 3:38 on the clock for the Raiders to get the go-ahead score. Las Vegas got to the Chargers' 21-yard line before Mariota threw the ball behind Zay Jones and into the arms of Chris Harris Jr.
The spotlight was back on Bagley as he lined up a 51-yarder, and his attempt once again hooked to the left. The Chargers didn't need to put the game on his shoulders again in overtime.
Notable Performers
Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers: 22-of-32, 314 yards, two touchdowns; four carries, 14 yards, one touchdown
Despite having not played since the 2019 season, the 27-year-old looked excellent. He was efficient in the pocket and provided a different dimension from Carr thanks to his mobility.
Marcus Mariota running the option to perfection. #RaiderNation
You don't want to overreact to one result, and the Raiders only have two more games left in the season. A quarterback change now can only do so much. Perhaps head coach Jon Gruden might consider giving Mariota an extended look with an eye toward 2021, though.
I've felt and said for a while there are situations that come up in games that the @Raiders can and should tap into Marcus Mariota's skill set. Could be making a big case for some kind of situational roll moving forward.
The offseason addition of Mariota was meant to apply some pressure to Carr and provide a capable backup in the event the three-time Pro Bowler got hurt. Much in the same way Ryan Tannehill eventually supplanted Mariota for the Tennessee Titans, he could be doing the same to Carr.
Herbert Turns Chargers Offense into One-Man Show
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported before the game that Mike Williams and Keenan Allen would both play for the Chargers but be on a "rep count."
You'd expect a quarterback to struggle when his top two receivers are limited by injuries. That wasn't the case Thursday night as Herbert torched the Raiders secondary.
Anthony Lynn's clock management has been the subject of scrutiny all season, and he could find himself on the hot seat depending on how Los Angeles finishes out the year. Chalk up the play-calling against the Raiders as more ammunition for critics to argue why the franchise would be better off making a coaching change.
This game wasn't particularly notable for Los Angeles, yet it served as a perfect encapsulation of the team's 2020. Odd strategic decisions and special teams snafus nearly combined to nullify a good performance by Herbert.
What's Next?
The Raiders have a Saturday night prime-time clash with the Dolphins on Dec. 26 at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Chargers host the Denver Broncos on Dec. 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET.
Raiders' Derek Carr Replaced by Marcus Mariota vs. Chargers After Groin Injury
Dec 17, 2020
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 29: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders warms-up before the start of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr left Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers with a groin injury.
Carr limped off the field on a 3rd-and-goal play with 1:28 left in the first quarter as the Raiders trailed the Chargers 7-0. Carr took off toward the end zone, but he ran out of bounds instead.
Raiders QB Derek Carr came up limping on this scramble. He is now walking to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/r4QnTdiRnW
The Raiders subsequently ruled Carr out for the remainder of the game at the start of the third quarter.
Marcus Mariota entered the game, his first time on the field in 2020. The Raiders scored a field goal on the drive that injured Carr, and then Mariota found Darren Waller in the end zone to put them on top, 10-7, on his first drive.
Carr had a solid bounce-back season with the Raiders in 2019. The three-time Pro Bowler completed a career-high 70.4 percent of his passes and had a career-best 8.0 adjusted yards per attempt. This season he had a 68.2 completion percentage and 24 touchdowns through 13 games.
Head coach Jon Gruden is still in the process of rebuilding Oakland's roster, but he appears to have the franchise moving in the right direction with a 7-6record in 2020, and he handed the Kansas City Chiefs their only loss of the year so far.
The Raiders took steps to give Carr more weapons in the offseason. They selected Alabama speedster Henry Ruggs III with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft and signed Nelson Agholor as a free agent.
If Carr is forced to miss significant time, the veteran Mariota will take over as the Raiders' primary quarterback. Mariota signed with the team in the offseason after starting 61 games in the previous five years with the Tennessee Titans.
Raiders News: Marcus Mariota Designated for Return from IR After Injury
Oct 20, 2020
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws a ball during an NFL football training camp practice Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Per Albert Breer of The MMQB, the Raiders designated Mariota to return from the injured reserve Tuesday.
Mariota wasplacedon injured reserve Sept. 7 with an undisclosed injury. NFL Network'sIan Rapoportreported the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner had been "severely limited" in practice due to a strained pec.
The RaiderssignedMariota to a two-year deal worth $17.6 million in March. He told KHON-TV (h/t ESPN'sPaul Gutierrez) after signing that the Raiders were still Derek Carr's team and he was looking "to be a part of a team that I felt could bring out the best in me."
Nathan Peterman has served as Carr's backup for Las Vegas' first five games of the season. Carr has taken all of the team's offensive snaps thus far. He leads the NFL with a 73.1 completion percentage, ranks sixth with 288.4 passing yards per game and is tied for eighth with 11 touchdowns.
Mariota is in his first season with the Raiders after spending five years with the Tennessee Titans. The 26-year-old is 29-32 in 61 career starts and has thrown for 13,207 yards, 76 touchdowns and 44 interceptions.
Raiders Rumors: Marcus Mariota Out at Least 3 Weeks with Pectoral Injury
Sep 7, 2020
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs during an NFL football training camp practice Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota reportedly will be out for at least three weeks.
ESPN's Field Yates reported the team placed Mariota on the injured reserve list Monday, and Nathan Peterman will serve as Derek Carr's backup while Mariota is out. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the sixth-year QB has a pectoral strain.
Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune first reported the news.
The 26-year-old is in his first season with the Raiders after signing a two-year, $17.6 million deal in the offseason.
Mariota entered the year as a backup one year after losing his starting job with the Tennessee Titans. He had been the team's starter for four years after being drafted No. 2 overall in 2015, but he was benched in his contract season in favor of Ryan Tannehill, who led the Titans to the AFC Championship Game.
It left Mariota with a career-low 1,203 passing yards and seven touchdowns in seven games. He threw just one pass attempt after Week 7.
The quarterback had positive moments earlier in his career, including an impressive second season when he totaled 26 passing touchdowns and a personal-best 95.6 rating. He also averaged 280 rushing yards per season during his five NFL seasons.
However, injuries seemingly derailed his career while failing to play all 16 games in any season.
A nerve condition in 2018 put his career in jeopardy, although he was eventually able to work his way back to full strength.
Another injury could create even more concerns about his future in the NFL, although the Raiders can rely on Carr under center.
Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock's Raiders Are Finally Ready to Shine
Aug 21, 2020
Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden speaks after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
One year ago, we were watching Antonio Brown rehab his way back from frozen feet and moan about an outdated helmet.
It seems like it was much longer ago than that, but the-then Oakland Raiders were the focus of HBO's Hard Knocks last summer. We saw the fallout of Brown's antics and the rise of young players like Johnathan Abram as the team prepared for its last season in Oakland before a 2020 move to Las Vegas.
The cameras are packed away, but there is plenty of hype and excitement both internally and externally about the 2020 Las Vegas Raiders.
With the high-octane, defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the division, the Raiders (and others) entered the 2020 offseason aiming to both keep up with the Chiefs offensively while attempting to add defensive pieces to perhaps slow them down. The Raiders did it with two first-round picks—wide receiver Henry Ruggs III of Alabama and cornerback Damon Arnette of Ohio State—and throughout the entire 2020 NFL draft.
Raiders rookie WR Henry Ruggs III
It's the addition of Ruggs and Arnette along with the rest of the draft class plus the return of veteran quarterback Derek Carr and young stars like running back Josh Jacobs, tight end Darren Waller, defensive end Maxx Crosby and Abram that has the Raiders excited.
Last summer, we saw via Hard Knocks just how important deep speed was to the Raiders offense. Head coach Jon Gruden was salivating at the prospect of Antonio Brown opening up his game plan. That fell through due to Brown's numerous on- and off-field issues, but the Raiders' front office feels they've adequately replaced that role in the offense while upgrading the X receiver spot.
"Ruggs is going to pick up what AB was supposed to do last season," one Raiders source said. "This is a mature bunch of young receivers, but they're attacking camp like pros. Carr loves them already."
If Carr finds his chemistry with Ruggs and third-rounder Bryan Edwards, the AFC West should lead the NFL in scoring.
Raiders QB Derek Carr enters his third year in coach Jon Gruden's offense
Edwards, a player many NFL scouts told me was a first-round talent before two injuries derailed his predraft process last year, is the ideal X receiver in Gruden's offense. Edwards' 6'3", 212-pound frame fits into that mold of big, powerful possession receiver who can crush defenses on slants and option routes much like Terrell Owens, Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin have in iterations of this offensive scheme under Gruden and his mentors; while the uber-talented Waller busts seams, and Ruggs stretches the field.
"You want a basketball team at receiver, they say," one Raiders coach said. "We have ours with Ruggs running point and a whole lot of scorers around him."
With Ruggs, Edwards, Waller, 2019 breakout rookie Hunter Renfrow, 2019 fourth-round tight end Foster Moreau and veteran wideout Tyrell Williams, the Raiders have a pass-catching corps that Carr should love. It's the best group he's worked with since the Raiders selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft.
"[General manager Mike] Mayock really set the table for this team," one Raiders scout said. "He brings in Cory Littleton and Damarious Randall to fix the middle of the field, then gets Derek legit weapons in the draft. This is a good roster."
Asked how the heat and frenzy of camp was treating the players, one coach laughed.
"Man, we love this s--t!" he said. "We just want to compete."
A move to the heat of Henderson, Nevada, hasn't been able to slow the team down in padded practices. Gruden and Mayock will hope the defenses in the AFC West can't, either.
Most of the time, these teams sneak up on us. Before we're ready to acknowledge that a dark horse has become a legitimate contender, that club's resume often speaks for itself...
Raiders' Jon Gruden: 'Dazzling Playmaker' Marcus Mariota 'Really Fired Me Up'
Aug 14, 2020
Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota throws during an NFL football practice Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. The Titans are scheduled to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
The Las Vegas Raiders are set to start the season with Derek Carr as their quarterback, but head coach Jon Gruden seems to think highly of his backup.
Speaking to reporters, Gruden called Marcus Mariota a "dazzling playmaker" who "really fired me up" on the practice field today.
In his 2019 seasonwrap-up press conference, Gruden was non-committal about Carr remaining the team's starter:
"He played good. I'm not going to get into all the next-year scenarios. I'm just going to say that 7-9 is a step forward. We took a step forward. Statistically, I think we took a step forward. We've got to get a lot of guys healthy and we've got a lot of things to look at and evaluate before we start making any assumptions."
Carr's contract is structured so the Raiders would have only been on the hook for $7.9 million indead capthis season and $2.5 million next year if they decided to release him. He had a solid statistical season in 2019 with 4,054 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and a career-high 70.4 completion percentage.
Gruden and the Raiders opted to keep Carr, but they did sign Mariota to atwo-year contractin the offseason. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner will receive $7.5 million guaranteed in 2020, but his $10.1 million base salary next year is not guaranteed.
Mariota lost his starting job with the Tennessee Titans midway through last season. He threw for 1,203 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games.
The 26-year-old can be used in running packages if the Raiders look to add different wrinkles to their offense. He's averaged 5.8 yards per carry on 242 attempts in five NFL seasons.
Raiders' Marcus Mariota Gets Engaged to Girlfriend Kiyomi Cook
Jun 23, 2020
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 01: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Tennessee Titans leaves the field following a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariotagot engaged to girlfriend Kiyomi Cook over the weekend, according to Rob DeMello of KHON2 News in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Mariota and Cook met in college at Oregon. Mariota was the Heisman Trophy winner and helped lead the Ducks to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2014-15. Cook was a member of the women's soccer team, making 55 appearances over her four years.
The good news for the couple is that Mariota's new home has no shortage of wedding venues. Mariota signed a two-year, $17.6 million deal with the Raiders ahead of their first season in Vegas.
Raiders Rumors: DeShone Kizer Cut; Was Behind Mariota, Peterman on Depth Chart
May 5, 2020
Oakland Raiders quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) warms up before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)
Quarterback DeShone Kizer is looking for a new job after the Las Vegas Raiders reportedly cut the former second-round pick on Tuesday afternoon, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero:
Kizer was claimed off waivers by the Raiders last September but did not appear in any games. He was listed behind former Buffalo Bills starter Nathan Peterman on the team's depth chart prior to Tuesday.
The QB is now searching for his fourth team in as many years.
Originally selected 52nd overall by the Cleveland Browns out of Notre Dame, the quarterback joined a vaunted group of top picks by Sashi Brown in 2017 featuring No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett, No. 29 Jabrill Peppers and No. 29 David Njoku.
Unfortunately, they did little to help the Browns on the field right away. The team went 0-16 as Kizer started 15 games, recording 2,894 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and a league-high 22 picks to go with nine fumbles and a 53.6 completion.
Cleveland selected quarterback Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick the following year and traded Kizer to Green Bay for Damarious Randall and a few pick swaps.
As a backup to Aaron Rodgers, Kizer's luck wasn't any better. He saw time in just three contests in 2018, getting picked off twice with no touchdowns on 42 passing attempts.
Where Kizer goes from here is unclear. There's a thin market for starting quarterbacks with the NFL Draft just completed and the openings for backups aren't looking much better.
The Raiders should've provided a perfect opportunity for Kizer this year. Carr is entering a make-or-break season while Mariota is out to prove he can still produce after losing his starting job in Tennessee to Ryan Tannehill.
With plenty of competition in camp, Kizer could've helped himself stand out.
Now he won't get the chance. Still just 24 years old, Kizer could become a solid reclamation project for a needy team. But the timing of his release means he may have to wait a bit before that's even an option general managers are ready to discuss.
