Why was Derek Carr benched? Raiders GM finally breaks silence on QB

The Las Vegas Raiders, in what ended up being a lost season, benched quarterback Derek Carr for the final two games. He gave way to Jarrett Stidham and effectively confirmed that he wouldn't be returning next season.

Raiders GM Dave Ziegler recently admitted that the decision to bench the franchise icon and longtime player was a tough one.

On the "Bussin' with the Boys" podcast, Ziegler said:

"It's a tough decision. There's a lot of emotion involved in that decision, too. And I would, say one like, you spend time with Derek Carr. And [he] is a phenomenal human being, easy. It's hard not to like Derek."

He continued:

"He's played the nine years for the same organization and having to make a decision like that there's a lot of emotion that's involved in trying and having to make that decision. And it's a hard decision to make. And at the end of the day, like, that's what we get paid to do, too, is make hard decisions."

He finished by saying:

"All those decisions are hard decisions, because it's someone's livelihood, you know what I mean? And people that are really dedicated to their craft. And they're all decisions you don't want to have to make. And again, I think that one was even a little bit more difficult because of what he's meant to the Raider organization and just who he is, as a human being."

Carr is a high-quality individual, as Ziegler kept pointing out. He's been a leader for the team through a few tough times and that made the decision to put him on the bench that much more difficult.

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Where will Derek Carr sign next?

Derek Carr was going to be shipped in a trade, but he nixed that idea with his no-trade clause. Instead, the Raiders released him to save money. He can now sign anywhere.

Derek Carr is a free agent

This is better for QB-needy teams as they won't have to offer up assets and bring in his massive salary. Now, they can sign him to a more team-friendly deal and keep all of their picks and players.

That means the New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and more will have their eyes on him.