Raiders bench Carr, will start Stidham
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has missed only three games in nine years, all because of injury.
Now, for the first time, he won’t play because of what coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday were offensive performance reasons.
McDaniels not only will start former Patriot Jarrett Stidham the final two weeks, including Sunday’s home game against the 49ers, but Carr will be inactive. Practice squad quarterback Chase Garbers will be the backup.
The Raiders (6-9) have lost two of their last three games to all but fall out of the playoff race just a year after making the postseason.
Carr has not completed more than 55 percent of his passes over the past four games, and has thrown seven interceptions and six touchdown passes.
“I don’t think anybody feels like we’ve done enough offensively certainly in a couple of these games,” McDaniels said. “We couldn’t put enough points on the board, so I don’t think anybody’s really happy with what we’ve done.”
By not playing Carr, the Raiders eliminate the possibility of a serious injury affecting his contract status. The club has until Feb. 15 to decide whether to release or trade Carr — who has a no-trade clause but could waive it — or he would receive $33 million for 2023. A serious injury would guarantee that money plus $7.5 million for 2024.
Including three games with the Raiders this season, Stidham has completed 32 of 61 passes for 342 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions in his career. He has never started.
Wentz back as starter
In search of “a little bit of a spark” and “a little something different,” Commanders coach Ron Rivera named Carson Wentz his starting quarterback Wednesday. Taylor Heinicke, who led the Commanders to five wins in nine starts, will return to the bench and, if healthy, serve as the backup Sunday against the Browns.
The quarterback change is Washington’s 10th since Rivera was hired in 2020. Once again, Heinicke returns to the No. 2 role after reviving the offense for a stretch.
Wentz, who was sidelined after suffering a finger injury in Week 6, was named Heinicke’s backup when he returned to the active roster earlier this month. In his first game action since October, he came off the bench in the fourth quarter Saturday at the 49ers and promptly led a touchdown drive.
Wentz has rehabbed his surgically repaired right ring finger and has been spared the hits and bruises Heinicke is working through; Heinicke didn’t throw at practice Wednesday because he’s “a little beat up,” Rivera said.
Heinicke, who will be a free agent after the season, guided the Commanders to a 5-3-1 record, turning around their dismal start and putting them in playoff position.
No rest for Jaguars
Coach Doug Pederson has his Jaguars going “full steam ahead” as they prepare to play at the rival Texans on Sunday, a game that means little to Jacksonville’s postseason chances.
The Jaguars (7-8) have won three in a row to move atop the AFC South. They can clinch the division and the conference’s No. 4 seed by beating the Titans (7-8) at home in the regular-season finale.
The scenario means Pederson could rest some starters against the Texans (2-12-1) and get banged-up players as healthy as possible before a game that’s essentially the start of the AFC playoffs. But he made it clear that he won’t.
“There’s never a meaningless game,” Pederson said. “Never, ever, ever, ever. You play to win every game. The only way I rest players is if they’re hurt and can’t go.”
Rodgers (knee) to play
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t practice Wednesday because of the knee problem but says he has no worries about his availability for Sunday’s game against the Vikings (12-3). Rodgers said he expects to practice later this week and considered Wednesday more of a veteran rest day. “I think I’ll be out there tomorrow and kind of business as usual,” Rodgers said . . . The Chiefs expect to have wide receiver Mecole Hardman on the field for the first time in nearly two months on Sunday when they play the Broncos. Hardman has been out since Nov. 6 with an abdominal injury that landed him on injured reserve. He returned to practice a couple of weeks ago, but the ailment caused the already lean Hardman to lose weight he’s had to put back on. The Chiefs have overcome his loss by deploying their deep wide receiver group in different ways. The return of Kadarius Toney from a hamstring injury a couple of weeks ago bought Hardman some additional time to recover . . . Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was back at practice Wednesday after missing one game because of a concussion. Clowney didn’t play in last week’s 17-10 loss to the Saints after sustaining the injury on Dec. 17 against the Ravens. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Clowney is “getting better” as the Browns (6-9), who have been eliminated from postseason contention, prepare to face the Commanders Sunday . . . Tyler Lockett was back catching passes and participating in the Seahawks’ walkthrough barely a week after having surgery to stabilize a broken bone in his left hand. Coach Pete Carroll said Lockett was able to participate without significant discomfort and both the player and coach are working under the impression Lockett will be able to play this week against the Jets . . . Broncos linebacker Randy Gregory and Rams offensive lineman Oday Aboushi won’t serve one-game suspensions for fighting in last Sunday’s game. Both players appealed their suspensions and instead will pay a fine.