The Raiders have released longtime quarterback Derek Carr after nine seasons with the franchise, according to a league source. ESPN first reported Carr’s release. Here’s what you need to know:

The Raiders had to cut Carr before Feb. 15, when the $32.9 million base salary for next year and $7.5 million for 2024 become fully guaranteed. Carr isn’t accepting a trade to the Saints or any other team, league sources told The Athletic.

New Orleans received permission to speak with Carr, and the quarterback visited the Saints on Feb. 8. The Raiders asked for a third-round pick, but were willing to be flexible on compensation, according to a league source. Ultimately, teams didn’t want to take on Carr’s contract.

The Raiders benched Carr (starting Jarrett Stidham) for the final two regular-season games to avoid injury risk, and he left the team to avoid being a distraction. Carr finished last season with 3,522 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 60.8 completion percentage resulting in an 86.3 passer rating.

Backstory

The Dennis Allen-led Raiders picked Carr at No. 36 in the 2014 NFL Draft. Carr started immediately and started 142 games in nine seasons with the Raiders. He threw for 35,222 yards, 217 touchdowns and 99 interceptions with a 64.6 completion percentage, resulting in a 91.8 passer rating.

He made four trips to the Pro Bowl as a Raider. The team went 63-79 with Carr as the starter. Carr played in one playoff game during his career, a loss in the 2021 AFC wild-card round.

Carr sent a goodbye message to fans of the organization via social media in January, signaling an end to his nine-year career with the team. He was 57-70 with the organization.