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According to Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock, it appears as though veteran quarterback Derek Carr probably won't be going anywhere this offseason — other than from Oakland to “Sin City,” that is.
However, with both free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, which will actually be held in Las Vegas this year, still yet to come and go, there remains at least a slim chance that Carr becomes available as either a free agent or major trade piece before the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
With that being said, there are currently a ton of quarterback-needy teams throughout the league, some that will address such an issue via the aforementioned 2020 NFL Draft and others that will look to a veteran presence under center. One team in particular that may ultimately do both is the Indianapolis Colts, who seem to be just one missing piece away from being a legitimate contender in the AFC South and AFC as a whole.
With former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck abruptly retiring before the start of the 2019-20 regular season, the once-heralded AFC South franchise was left with a major void under center as Indianapolis was forced to turn to Jacoby Brissett as the team's starting signal-caller. As one would imagine, things did not go well for Indianapolis last season after the Colts reached the playoffs in what would eventually become the aforementioned Luck's last season with the team in 2019-20.
It is now quite clear that Brissett is definitely a solid backup option at the NFL level, though the former New England Patriots reserve is not the answer for the Colts under center.
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Because this is clearly the case, perhaps Carr — if made available by the Raiders — could come in and make an immediate impact in Indianapolis. Not only that, but Carr, who is a talented player on the field and possibly an even better human being away from the field, could be put in position to serve as the short-term solution for the Colts while simultaneously mentoring any additional signal-caller that the team brings on board this offseason.
There is absolutely no doubt that Carr could teach an incoming rookie quarterback the ropes of being a good person and the NFL at the same time. On the other hand, the presence of a veteran leader and talented quarterback like Carr would put an otherwise well-rounded Colts team in position to succeed immediately.
As it stands today, the Colts own the No. 13 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and have already been widely linked to more than a few soon-to-be rookie quarterbacks. While Carr would be an important piece for 2020-21, he would be vital to the success of the team's next quarterback of the future whether that is former Oregon Ducks standout Justin Herbert or former Utah State signal-caller Jordan Love.
It is also worth noting that aside from current Patriots signal-caller Tom Brady, Carr could quickly become the best available veteran option at quarterback this offseason.
