3 potential replacements for Raiders QB Derek Carr if released in 2023

No. 1 potential replacement for Raiders QB Derek Carr: Bake Mayfield

Current team: Carolina Panthers

There are several NFL teams that seem to be snakebitten and the Cleveland Browns are one of them. Although they’re one of the most histories clubs in the league, they’ve made the playoffs just one time in the last 20 years and they’ve never managed to win a Super Bowl. And one of the reasons they’ve struggled to rack up ‘Ws’ over the last two decades is their lack of stability at the quarterback position.

For a hot minute, it looked like Baker Mayfield was the long-term answer but he, just like those that preceded him, couldn’t get the job done.

Even though Mayfield helped Cleveland reach the playoffs in 2020, he was traded to the Carolina Panther this year. Injuries and attitude issues seemed to have been the reason he changed uniforms and he hasn’t done much in Carolina to think he will return in 2023.

Mayfield is 1-5 as the Panthers’ starting quarterback and has completed 57.8 percent of his passes for 1,313 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions. Keep in mind that the Browns traded the former Oklahoma Sooner until July and didn’t have the benefit of a full offseason to learn the Panthers’ playbook. Furthermore, the team seemed to have no direction under Matt Rhule before he was finally kicked to the curve.

You could argue that Mayfield has already gotten two chances to prove he’s a starting quarterback but neither situation was optimal. If the Raiders do decide to part ways with Derek Carr, they should then consider adding Mayfield as a reclamation project.