Buccaneers should consider disrespected quarterback to save future

The Buccaneers don’t have much of a future after Tom Brady. Derek Carr doesn’t have a future in Las Vegas. A connection could help both sides.

The Buccaneers don’t have a ton to be very excited about in their future at quarterback. Between Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask, this team seems like it isn’t far away from having quarterback becoming the weakest link again.

With it seeming all the more likely that Brady will be done at the end of this season, Tampa, specifically the coaching staff that should be on the hot seat, needs to find someone else to play the most important position on the field.

While a lot of people may groan and roll their eyes at the notion, the Bucs should keep Derek Carr near the top of their list of potential candidates.

This decision makes a mountain of sense from the coaching angle. Byron Leftwich is likely done at the end of the season, and then that will bring more scrutiny to Todd Bowles in 2023 without a scapegoat at offensive coordinator.

Does anyone really want to face that scrutiny with Trask, who would be playing his first regular-season NFL reps, or Blaine Gabbert, a career backup that has been a dud as a starter?

The Bucs have to go outside of the state to find their answer. That brings us to the strange situation that is transpiring in Las Vegas with Carr.

Despite dealing with a mountain of issues like a terrible defense, poor roster construction, and some of the worst coaching and GM decisions in the NFL over the past year and still finding impressive success as a fringe top-12 quarterback, Derek Carr has been benched for the rest of the season.

That’s right; the Raiders have benched their all-time leader in every passing category that they just gave a huge contract before the start of the season.

It’s disrespectful. It’s also confusing.

Sure, Carr hasn’t played to his usual standard this season (3,522 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 14 interceptions on 60.8% passing), but is he the issue here? Jarrett Stidham will fix all of the major problems that exist due to Josh McDaniels failing as a coach?

None of it makes sense, but that doesn’t mean this is bad for the Bucs.

Tampa needs a new leader at a critical position. You can cite whatever statistic you want, but none of it disproves that Carr is an above-average quarterback. In fact, Carr is the best quarterback set to become available that isn’t Lamar Jackson.

It might not be a flashy option that galvanizes the fanbase after such a disappointing 2022 season, but this might actually become one of the safest options for the Buccaneers if the money situation works out.

Bowles keeps a veteran quarterback on the roster to keep the offense from imploding, Carr gets a team in a position to compete with actual weapons (2022 for the Raiders excluded) and a defense, and the Buccaneers stay in a position to compete while also having time to evaluate their future.

There are certainly worse options out there.

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