Derek Carr Pens Emotional Goodbye To Raiders After Getting Benched

Derek Carr is bidding farewell to the Las Vegas Raiders fanbase ... sending a heartfelt message to his first NFL team amid speculation he's played his last down for the Silver and Black.

"Raider Nation it breaks my heart I didn't get an opportunity to say goodbye in person," Carr said on Twitter. "We certainly have been on a roller coaster in our 9 years together. From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful and appreciative of the years of support you have to my family and me."

"We had our share of both heart breaking moments and thrilling game winning drives, and it always felt like you were there next to me."

The Raiders benched Carr in favor of Jarrett Stidham for the last two games of the 2022-23 season ... and he was not with the team during that period. After that, all signs pointed to a breakup.

"It's especially hard to say goodbye because I can honestly say that I gave you everything I had, every single day, in season, and in the off season," Carr added. "It certainly wasn't perfect, but I hope that I was able to leave you with more than a few great memories as Raider fans."

"I once said that if I'm not a Raider I would rather be at home and I meant that, but I never envisioned it ending this way. That fire burning inside of me to win a championship still rages. A fire no man can extinguish; only God."

Carr says he's looking forward to joining a new team and giving 100% in hopes of winning a Super Bowl.

The Raiders selected Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft ... and he went on to accumulate 35,222 passing yards, 217 touchdowns and 99 interceptions.

The Raiders made the playoffs twice during Carr's time under center ... but did not earn a postseason victory.