The Las Vegas Raiders have essentially ended their run with Derek Carr as the team’s quarterback.
Head coach Josh McDaniels announced that Jarrett Stidham would start the final two games of the season and then stated that Carr had been excused from the team to avoid distractions.
In Week 17, Stidham played well against a tough San Francisco 49ers defense.
Stidham finished with 365 yards and three touchdowns while throwing two interceptions in a 37-34 overtime loss.
Stidham looked everything like a starting quarterback against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
After the game, his teammates were quick to show their support of Stidham.
#Raiders players on QB Jarrett Stidham:
"I think he shocked a lot of people but he didn't shock me" – Davante
"You can tell he's been preparing the whole way and really being locked in" – Waller
"He looked like he was supposed to, he looked like a vet" – Jacobs pic.twitter.com/8xcjCD0eOg
— Jesse Merrick (@JesseNews3LV) January 2, 2023
Stidham earned some huge praise from the best offensive players on the team, and that could be something to watch going forward.
Stidham developed quite the rapport with Davante Adams, who finished the game with seven catches for 153 yards and two scores on 11 targets, including an unbelievable catch late in the game.
Davante Adams is absurd. Wowwwww. pic.twitter.com/oB9V47rbMt
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 2, 2023
The 34 points are the most the Raiders have scored since November 27 against the Seattle Seahawks and just the fifth time all year they have eclipsed the 30-point mark.
The Raiders finish the season with a Saturday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and if Stidham plays well once again, that could make things interesting during this offseason for Las Vegas.
NEXT: Josh Jacobs Remains Firmly Atop An Elite Leaderboard