Now that Derek Carr has been cut by the only NFL team the veteran quarterback has ever known, where do the Las Vegas Raiders go from here?

These waters haven’t been navigated recently by the franchise, which has had Carr as its primary starter since he won the job as a rookie in training camp in 2014. Consider: Carr has only missed two regular-season games and one playoff game due to injury since — replaced by Matt McGloin in the 2016 finale after Carr suffered a broken right ankle, and by EJ Manuel in Week 5 of the 2017 season after Carr suffered broken bones in his back the week prior. And it was Connor Cook who started the 2016 wild-card round playoff game at Houston while Carr was recovering from surgery.

So while these are choppy waters for the Raiders, their compass should point to one of two destinations — land their Moby Dick, a high-priced, future Hall of Famer who will bring his own set of baggage, or play it safe and sign someone who already knows the system while gazing toward the future.

One Moby Dick possibility was Tom Brady, who was scheduled to become a free agent. He instead retired, seemingly forcing the Raiders to pivot.

So, yes, Aaron Rodgers is now that big whale, the one that got away back in 2005 when the Raiders drafted cornerback Fabian Washington at No. 23 overall, one selection ahead of Rodgers, who went to the Green Bay Packers. Acquiring Rodgers, who will also reportedly be targeted by the New York Jets, would be costly. And not just in draft capital and/or established players. Per numerous reports, Green Bay could command as much as a first-round and a conditional third-round pick that could turn into a second-rounder. The Packers were also reportedly more than interested in tight end Darren Waller at the trade deadline this past season.

And that’s just to complete the trade and doesn’t account for Rodgers’ salary or cap numbers. Rodgers signed a three-year, $150 million extension last March that included two voidable years, in 2025 and 2026, and has a $58.3 million option bonus for 2023 that is fully guaranteed, per ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky. The option can be exercised by the Packers anytime between the first day of the 2023 league year March 15 and the day before the Packers’ first game of the season.

And because the option makes up most of Rodgers’ pay, which totals $59.515 million for this year, its timing is important because Green Bay undoubtedly would want the team that acquires him to pay it. Rodgers also has a non-guaranteed $49 million due in 2024.