Derek Carr is dealing with a significant left hand injury and is working through the concussion protocol, but head coach Darren Rizzi gave the proverbial "not so fast" when addressing the media on Monday.
He said the team is still assessing its options and won't be ruling out Derek Carr this week or beyond as they determine whether their QB will play again this season, contradicting a report from the NFL Network that he would miss multiple weeks and potentially be done for the year.
“I’ve already seen some reports out there, a little bit false. Right now ... Derek is dealing with a non-throwing-hand injury," Rizzi said. "As it stands at this moment I don’t believe it’s going to be an IR situation, it’s going to be a week to week situation, so we’re gonna kind of take this day by day this week, we’ll see how this week plays out but that’s really where we are right now."
The more complicated element will be the concussion protocol, which Carr will have to clear before he is even able to test out the extent of the injury and how much he can do with it. The injury, which has been reported as a fracture in his left hand, came when Carr dove toward a first down late in the win over the Giants and used that hand to break his fall. Carr's head also impacted the turf on the play.
Related
The team believes the injury will not require surgery, which leaves options open.
"If it was surgical we’d be talking about having a different conversation, which is why this is going to remain a day-to-day, week-to-week type of thing, and so – but it has been done before," Rizzi said. "I think you guys have seen before where guys have played with [equipment], so that’s why we’re going to kind of discuss the options and see where we’re at."
Whether Carr plays again this season the Saints will have to assess their option at replacing them, a conversation that will include Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler. Rizzi wasn't ready to make that declaration on Monday afternoon, but said the coaches would be meeting and expected to have a decision on Tuesday. The player who gets the nod will then take on a bulk of the reps in practice, though it's "conceivable" that Carr still plays without any practice reps.
Related
This is the second time this season the Saints have found themselves in this scenario, though with a different head coach. Heading into Week 6 the Saints opted to go with the rookie in Rattler despite Haener serving as the backup throughout the season. The Saints went 0-3 in those games, with Haener finishing the final two.
“I’m not trying to play the fence-sitter here," Rizzi said. "I actually think both guys give us a chance to win.”
Should Carr ultimately be ruled out, it will be a tall order for either player as they face off with the Washington Commanders, a team that's coming off a bye and at 8-5 is currently holding the 7th and final NFC playoff seed. The Saints are still in longshot contention for the postseason, but likely need a win over Washington to keep those hopes alive.