NFL Rumors: Insider reveals true reason for Derek Carr's Raiders departure

Derek Carr's Las Vegas Raiders tenure ended with a whimper. After leading the franchise through some tough times, Carr's play faltered enough to warrant the two sides moving on. When a trade partner couldn't be found, they decided to release him.

The Athletic's Vic Tafur said of Carr's departure:

"There was some talk of the Raiders and Carr working together to find a trade partner because it was mutually beneficial. But they didn't trust each other enough to do that. Carr wanted to talk to all teams and see who would be willing to rework his contract before the deadline, but the Raiders thought he would just be setting up his future free-agent deal."

He continued via The Athletic, noting that neither side in this breakup is interested in playing nice:

"Both sides could take the high road, but there has been dirty laundry aired out - and there will be more. Neither side can help it. It's been leaked that Carr wasn't tough enough to hang in the pocket or play well in cold weather. And he certainly missed some throws this season."

Derek Carr will likely be released

Though Carr carries a lot of the blame for how it went this season, the Raiders aren't exactly innocent, either:

"As for the Raiders, they didn't let Carr operate as freely at the line of scrimmage as he had under Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia. And there were communication issues."

Carr briefly began exploring teams he would waive his no-trade clause for, but that didn't pan out and the Raiders released him.

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What's next for Derek Carr?

Now that it arguably won't cost teams as much and that they can sign him to a more appropriate contract, Derek Carr has options. Several teams may be in need of a quarterback.

The Tennessee Titans may be looking at replacing Ryan Tannehill, and they may not think Malik Willis is ready yet. Carr could be the bridge.

The New York Jets want Aaron Rodgers, but Carr will be significantly cheaper. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost Tom Brady to retirement, so they could easily look at bringing Carr in.