Derek Carr: Raiders only allowed me to talk to one team, that's why I forced release

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Derek Carr claims he was willing to accept a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders but then was allowed to talk to only one team. Just a couple of days before the Super Bowl, Carr informed the Raiders he would not accept a trade to any team.

Previously, Carr was allowed to talk to the Saints and the Raiders and Saints agreed on a trade framework for Carr. But since Carr had a no-trade clause in his contract, the Raiders had no option to release him. Last week, Carr signed with the Saints as a free agent.

Carr: I was willing to accept a trade from the Raiders

“I was very willing to accept a trade. But I was only able to talk to one team. I was only given permission to talk to one team. As much as I love and respect those guys, Dave and Josh over at the Raiders, how do I make that decision when it’s the only time in my career that I’ve been, or could possibly be free? I can’t possibly make that decision without being able to talk to other people.

But I still almost made the decision. I felt so much love here. Like, I still almost did it. But at the end of the day, I just felt like I knew that when I sat here, I wanted to be able to look my kids in the eye, look my wife in the eye, and know that I did everything in my power, I asked every question, I went through every process to make sure I tried to make the best decision for our family, for us together.

So, I wasn’t closed off to it all, which was maybe shocking to some people. But I wasn’t closed off, I was willing to work, but I just was only able to talk to the Saints. But it worked out," Carr explained, per Pro Football Talk.

For Carr and the Saints, it worked out perfectly. The Saints got Carr in the end and did not need to give up assets to acquire him.