Derek Carr went a decade between trips into the concussion protocol, and a lot has changed during that time.
When he went in during his rookie season he felt like there were a lot of steps, he said, but that's nothing compared to now. He finally cleared the final hurdle on Thursday and knows that the focus on player health is a good thing, and it exists because of players like him.
"If it was back then I would’ve been, 'I’m fine,' " Carr said on Friday, "I would’ve went back out there no matter what, and you appreciate people taking care of you in that way."
Carr, of course, did not re-enter the Week 10 loss to the Vikings after taking a big hit and staying down on the ground for several minutes. For the second time this season he was led off the field by trainers and had his day end early in the third quarter of games that came down to the final moments. In a Week 3 loss to the Packers it was due to an AC joint sprain. It was that same injury that he re-aggravated during the big hit in Week 10, and that's what he was in rehabbing during the bye week.
Carr made it clear the injury wasn't anything significant, however, and if there had been a game he'd likely have played. Still, all things considered, the bye week came at a good time for he and his team to get their bodies and minds right going into the stretch run of the season.
“I have never been hurt this much in my life in one season, so ... it’s been a little frustrating," Carr said. "You work really hard in the weight room and things like that to try and prevent as much as you can, take care of your body and all that. So that part has been a little frustrating, but I’ve had a week off to get back right. So we’ll be ready.”
It wasn't his dream scenario for a week off, but the kids were in school anyway, so he made the most of his extra recovery time. For others on the roster the days off were more about getting away and getting right. Star running back Alvin Kamara said he did just that.
“It’s big ... for the body of course," Kamara said, "but mentally it’s a big help, just kind of taking a break, resetting, recharging and, you know, you kind of come back into it with a fresh mind.”
Kamara has been able to avoid injury issues to this point since his return from suspension in Week 3, and statistically is on pace for one of his biggest workloads.
The extra week wasn't enough time for a pair of stars in Michael Thomas and Marshon Lattimore, both of whom also exited in Week 10 with injuries. Thomas' knee injury will keep him out at least the next four weeks as he's landed on injured reserve. As of Friday Lattimore is not on injured reserve, but he's been ruled out for a Week 12 matchup against Atlanta. The trio of Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor and Isaac Yiadom will be relied on to fill the void.
How the Saints manage injuries, fatigue and adversity will be key down the stretch of a final 7 games that begins in Atlanta. The Saints have had a topsy-turvy first 10 games and sit at 5-5, but also in full control of the division this late in the season for the first time since 2020.
A win in Atlanta would go a long way toward securing another division title, but a loss against a Falcons squad with just as big an opportunity ahead of them would be just as damaging.
"At the end of the day, first place right now means nothing, so we understand that, yes, we are happy [to be in first], even with not playing perfectly at the same time offensively, defensively," Carr said. "But at the same time we understand the work that needs to be done to keep that. We understand the challenge that lies ahead for us to be able to hold onto that.”
