Raiders bench Carr for final 2 games, Jarrett Stidham to start

The Las Vegas Raiders are benching quarterback Derek Carr for the team's final two games of the regular season, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels announced Wednesday.

Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will take over as the starter. Chase Garbers will be the backup, meaning Carr will be inactive for Sunday's Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

The three-time Pro Bowler left the team, with the Raiders' permission, to avoid being a distraction over the final two weeks of the regular season, a source told The Athletic's Jeff Howe.

Carr has nine touchdowns and nine interceptions in his last five games while completing just 57% of his passes. He has only missed three games in nine seasons with the Raiders.

The move is partly to preserve Carr's health for a potential offseason trade, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The 31-year-old's contract contains a no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any deal.

Carr has a $34.875-million cap hit for the 2023 season, according to Over The Cap.

The Raiders acquired star wide receiver Davante Adams this past offseason and hired McDaniels in an attempt to reinvigorate the offense. But Carr's completion percentage and passer rating are his lowest since his rookie season, while Las Vegas is 6-9 on the season and sits third in the AFC West.

"None of us is happy where we're at," McDaniels said. "But we think it's an opportunity to evaluate a younger player who hasn't had much time to play."

Originally selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Stidham has appeared in 11 NFL games but has yet to start. The 26-year-old has 32 career completions with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

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