The Current State of the Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are a franchise on the brink of significant change this off-season, and I take you inside the organization with the latest information.

HENDERSON, Nev.--As the Las Vegas Raiders' disappointing season ends this weekend; the NFL was almost merciful in announcing that the 2022 season will end one day sooner, on Saturday.

I have talked extensively to people around the NFL and the team, and here is the latest information:

• When I broke the story that Josh McDaniels was interested in the Las Vegas Raiders coaching job, I was emphatic that one of the biggest reasons was that both he and Davie Ziegler understood that a head coach is only as good as his quarterback.
• Derek Carr was a primary reason why they left the comfort of New England, a place they didn't have to leave.
• I reported before McDaniels and Ziegler took the job that McDaniels had reached out and had a conversation with Carr to ensure he would play for them.
• I took a large amount of criticism from people who didn't want to believe that Carr was an appealing part of the McDaniels and Ziegler decision. Some, even among my colleagues in the media.
• Mark Davis respects Derek Carr and likes him. Derek is a good person. That doesn't mean that he was the biggest fan of Derek's play on the field, but it doesn't diminish his personal respect for Carr, the man.
• When I started covering this team over three years ago, rumors had been swirling for a long time that the Raiders wanted to get rid of Derek Carr.
• When I spoke with people in the leadership of the football operations of the franchise, they emphatically refuted those "reports."
• One member of the football leadership team when I took the job told me: "You can report that as completely false. Wrong.  Not even close to accurate, and if we get rid of him, you can tell people I told you that."
• Whether you like him or not, Davis is respected around the NFL as an owner who, despite false reports of being broke, will let his football leadership team spend and do what they need to do to compete.
• Since the team's move to Las Vegas, finances are not an issue. At all.
• Davis has allowed all his football people to make decisions that might not have been as popular because he is loyal.
• Last night, one NFL executive told me: "As a football person, you dream of having an owner who lets his football people do their job. Al (Davis) made decisions on emotion, especially for the last part of his time as the leader, that hurt the franchise."
• The executive added: "Mark lets guys do their job, but he wants to be in the loop, and he holds them to what they say each move will do."
• Another league executive told me: "The deal that the Raiders gave Carr was not a deal you give a guy you expect to get rid of. Sure they had an out, but to give Derek a no-trade clause, when you have an early out, clearly shows the team leadership wanted Derek and that Derek wanted to be with the Raiders."
• Last Friday, Dec. 30, I spoke with Josh McDaniels. I referenced his phone call to Derek (many had criticized it as false) and how difficult it was for him to move on from a quarterback he liked personally and who had been nothing less than a true professional for the franchise for nine years. I know that McDaniels was resolute that a change needed to happen, but at the same time, he was greatly disappointed that Carr hadn't worked out. Here is the question and the answers:

Q: You talked to Derek Carr before you came here. You like him, he likes you, and you guys are respectful of each other. Is making those decisions the worst part about coaching?

Coach McDaniels: "Probably. And I think the hard part is that when you do it long enough, you ultimately end up making decisions that are really strictly only about football or performance, but not really about the way you feel about the person as a human being. And so, I think as a younger guy I would sit in here and say I probably had a harder time understanding that dynamic because you wrap everything up into the conversation that you're involved in. But as I've been around long enough to see people come and go, and relationships sustain themselves beyond that, that's up to the two people. It really is. And we've cut players, traded players, released players, or people have retired, coaches have been fired. I've been fired. And you still have great relationships with the people that you worked for, or you worked with. And again, I think that's a personal choice. I choose to invest in the relationships with those people and if something has to be done from a business perspective, or somebody makes a choice to move in a different direction, you have to respect that and move on. But it doesn't necessarily have to affect your relationship."

• The week before the Pittsburgh game, I reported that no decision to move on from Derek had been made.
• At the time, I said everyone would be reviewed, but no decision had been made.
• Early Monday morning, as I previously reported, a source within the franchise told me that the Raiders were concerned that if they let Derek Carr play the last two games, should he sustain an injury on the field or in the facility, his 2023 deal would become fully guaranteed and that the team was now wavering on his status moving forward. By Monday night, there was no wavering. The decision had been made.
• That is why I was the first to ask McDaniels about the consideration of benching Carr, thus eliminating the risk of injury and guaranteeing 2023.
• The source additionally told me Monday morning: "There is wavering on Derek, and certainly this team's issues are not all, nor even close to all on Derek. But, his contract is massive, and while others won't return in 2023, you can't expose that much of your salary cap to chance."
• Team sources also tell me that when McDaniels and Ziegler told Davis of their plan to move on from Carr and not let him play the last two games, Davis agreed and trusted his football leadership team."
• Derek Carr was and is a very popular player on this football team. He is a good man and truly loves his teammates, which is reciprocated.
• There was genuine anger on this team when McDaniels explained the situation. But not for the reasons you would think.
• As one member of the organization told me: "I think it was bullsh*t, man, everyone out there acting like Derek was the only reason we failed this year? They are always piling on him. Carr is my guy, and I will never understand the hate toward him."
• This person added: "Derek has acted and been different this year, but people dropping sh*t on him really pisses me off."
• Another organization member told me: "Look at all the coaches, bad defenses, and turmoil he has played through; I think it is ridiculous how people act like this team's issues are all Derek Carr."
• He added: "I get it. He makes the big money, he's the quarterback, and he hasn't had a good season, but you're a fool to think this is all him."
• While not everyone on every team likes everybody, the team was angry at how fans and some media were spinning the Carr benching.
• I can tell you that not ONE member of this organization, player, or management has even tried to pin all of the 2022 woes on Derek. Not one.
• So when reports (that I haven't read) surfaced that the players were furious at McDaniels and he had lost the locker room, those were not accurate.
• Nearly everyone I spoke with was supportive of the coach. One said: "Let's face it, this hasn't been Derek's best season, but it's not like the rest of us have had career years."
• The anger on the team was how their dear friend was being thrown under the bus as the scapegoat, not by the team, but by the "Noise" outside the franchise.
• One organization member told my wife and me: "Listen, we all see the tape. Was Derek perfect? No, but none of us were."
• Despite reports to the contrary, McDaniels had not lost his locker room. Some guys think he deserves blame as much as the players, but he has been blunt to his players.
• One told me: "He is tough to watch back with, because he is blunt on everyone. He will say when he or a coach should have done something different, but he will also call you out."
• Not one member of the organization I spoke to felt like McDaniels had been unfair to Carr. One said: "It is a game you learn to love as a kid, but when you cash your check on Tuesday, you know it is a business. No one wants to talk about that, but it is."
• After Jarrett Stidham's performance on Sunday, a fan base that saw mobility and the ability to make plays with his feet and legs was instantly energized.
• Instantly talk swept the internet that the Raiders' had found their guy.
• While I believe Stidham will re-sign with the franchise and could one day be the guy they go with, from what I am hearing from inside the franchise and the NFL, that is not what they believe will happen.
• One executive said: "A couple of times this year when Carr was hurt, McDaniels put Stidham in for one play, and it was a quick hand-off and get Derek back in."
• He added: "In my opinion, if you thought the kid (Stidham) had what you needed to tell your trainer to take their time, you let him throw a pass or something that can give you a spark.

• That is why I genuinely believe that McDaniels doesn't think he is the franchise guy at this time.
• Multiple people have told me that they expect McDaniels and Ziegler to go outside the organization for their next starting quarterback.
• McDaniels was stunningly transparent when asked about Stidham and his future after losing to the 49ers. Here is the question and the answer:

Q: Obviously, you're in a little bit of a transition at quarterback. There's a lot of dust that needs to settle from that, but would it be wrong to assume that he [Jarrett Stidham] can factor into that whole picture?

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah, I mean, I think it's probably too early to have those discussions. But certainly, look, Jarrett's a young player, and I think everybody that's worked with Jarrett – I think Jarrett himself has to assume that his best football is going to be in front of him.

• McDaniels tapped the brakes on that thinking.
• McDaniels and Ziegler know that Mark Davis has been incredibly patient in year one. They also know that Davis will not be as patient in year two.
• One source told me: "When you know that year two is results-oriented or bust, they know you can't go for a rookie to lead.  Davante didn't sign up for that, and that will not happen."
• One highly respected NFL executive said it best: "Davis is hungry for a winner. He loves his father dearly, but winning a championship would take him out of that shadow, like Steve Young winning one got him out of Joe Montana's shadow."
• I have also reported that I expected Derek Carr to play football again. I took immense criticism for that, but I stood by it.
• His brother, David, recently on the NFL Network, made that clear.
• Derek has a lot of value; he will be a highly sought-after commodity around the NFL.
• His no-trade clause makes it interesting. Carr controls all of the cards.
• Carr can make the Raiders' cut him or be kind and let them get something in exchange.
• The feeling in the Raiders' organization is that they hope a deal can be cut. We shall see.
• As far as the next quarterback? I still believe the list is small, but Tom Brady is undoubtedly the front-runner.
• As one executive says: "Others separated them (Brady and McDaniels). They are close, and it would potentially allow them both to win a title without Bill (Belichick)."
• He added: "How cool would it be to see Derek Carr, against Brady and the Raiders in a Super Bowl in Las Vegas next year? The NFL loves that sh*t."
• Around the NFL, the Tom Brady to the Raiders thought process is universal. One league official told me: “That makes so much sense, the thought of it not happening, is more outrageous than it happening.”
• I understand why fans of Derek Carr think he was mistreated. He wasn’t. Derek has been paid millions of dollars.  Generational wealth that was well deserved. He has endured a constant change of leadership, bad defenses, and a voluminous amount of franchise instability over time. He has been the stability. But he has been paid and paid well.
• The Raiders’ made a business decision. That is not mistreatment.
• According to several players, Josh McDaniels made it clear to the team that “Derek is not the scapegoat; this was a business decision.”
• Another big factor that multiple NFL and team officials (not associated with the Raiders) have made is this: "No NFL team can have as many NFL Draft misses as the Raiders and have any sustained success. That defense is terrible, there are too many holes to mention, but those draft disasters aren’t on Ziegler or McDaniels. That has to account for something, and no doubt Davis has been well informed on that.”
• They added: "Look what happens when someone gets hurt, that team has nearly zero depth. There are a lot of people to blame, but not Dave or Josh. Dave and Josh will fix that, but they need draft picks, something they have in 2023."

The Raiders' final game of the season is at Allegiant Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, Jan. 7, and kicks off at 1:30 p.m. PST/4:30 p.m. PST. It will be available to watch on ESPN and ABC.

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