The Saints held the door open for a Derek Carr return for as long as humanly possible, but it finally closed shut on Friday. The veteran QB has been ruled out for Week 18.
That means Carr's season will end with 10 games played, the last in a win over the New York Giants where he fractured his left hand diving toward a first down. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi has remained constant that Carr was diligently working to get back and the team would play him if he was able, but the game-like tests they put him through the past two weeks didn't yield the results necessary. Spencer Rattler will start again, this time against the same Bucs team he made his NFL debut against in Week 6.
"I want to commend Derek, because these last 4 weeks have been difficult on everybody," Rizzi said, "but I’ve watched this guy come in here every day and work his tail off to try to get back on the field and I know that’s all been behind the scenes and that’s not seen by everybody every day, but seen by me and our staff and our players and so I do want to commend them on the effort to try to get back out on the field. He really did everything humanly possible to do that.”
It's a similar tune that has been struck in each of the past three weeks, though there has been little visible progress at the front of house. Rizzi said the first true test of his game readiness was done ahead of a Week 17 showdown with Carr's former team. The left hand was numbed up, but the functionality wasn't there. The same held true for this week, though Rizzi declined to share any more details of exactly when that test occurred or what it entailed.
Rizzi admitted that he was frustrated by initial reports that Carr's season was over immediately after the injury, but that ultimately became the result. The frustrating campaign marks the first time in Carr's 11-year career that he did not play in at least 15 games, and ends his streak of 3,000-yard passing seasons at 10.
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"It just didn’t go as planned," Rizzi said. "Sometimes that happens, and as I said all along, never wanted to put him out there in a position where we felt like he couldn’t function at a high level and that’s just not how we feel right now.”
Carr was one of two players ruled out for the game. Here's how the final injury report of the week broke down on Friday:
Here's how the full injury report broke down for the Saints:
DNP = did not participate; LP = limited participation; FP = full participation
- QB Derek Carr (left hand): DNP | DNP | DNP - out
- RB Alvin Kamara (groin): DNP | DNP | DNP - doubtful
- RB Kendre Miller (concussion): DNP | DNP | DNP - out
- DE Payton Turner (ankle): DNP | DNP | LP - questionable
- LB Pete Werner (concussion): DNP | LP | FP - questionable
- TE Juwan Johnson (knee): LP | LP | LP - questionable
- WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest): LP | FP | FP
- WR Chris Olave (head): FP | FP | FP - questionable
- LB Willie Gay (shoulder): n/a | LP | LP - questionable
The next two questions will come with RB Alvin Kamara (groin), listed as doubtful, and WR Chris Olave, listed as questionable (head). Kamara is another player who Rizzi said has been diligently working back since his injury during a Week 16 loss to the Commanders. The team is planning to put him through game-like work on Saturday morning before they make a final call. Kamara is currently 50 yards of reaching 1,000 for the first time in his NFL career, but is like a longshot to get on the field. If not it'll come down to a combination of Jordan Mims, Jamaal Williams and newcomer Clyde Edwards-Helaire, with Kendre Miller ruled out due to a concussion suffered last week. That means the 2023 2nd round pick will end Year 2 with 14 games played and 20 games missed due to a variety of injuries.
Olave's injury is a bit more complex and the decision is "all-encompassing," Rizzi said. Olave hasn't played since being carted off the field strapped to a backboard during a loss to the Panthers after suffering his second concussion in the span of a month and the fourth in his young NFL career. Olave has been an active participant in practice the last three weeks and has been listed as a full participant in all three practices heading into Week 18.
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"Chris is in great spirits since he’s been back," Rizzi said. "He’s had some really good practices. He’s moving around really well, it’s just a matter of whether or not we want to get him out there in a game or not. We’ll see how we play that one out."
Pete Werner is also working through the concussion protocol but was a full participant in Friday's practice and appears on track to potentially play in the season finale.
Tampa has also ruled out two players. Here's how the Bucs' half of the injury report broke down:
- CB Jamel Dean (knee): DNP | DNP | DNP - out
- TE Payne Durham (quad): DNP | LP | FP
- TE Cade Otton (knee): DNP | LP | LP - doubtful
- S Antoine Winfield (knee): DNP | LP | LP - out
- TE Devin Culp (ribs): LP | FP | FP
- WR Mike Evans (rest): LP | DNP | LP
- DL William Gholston (knee): LP | LP | LP - questionable
- RB Bucky Irving (shoulder/shin): LP | LP | FP
- WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring): LP | LP | LP - questionable
- OT Tristan Wirfs (foot/knee): LP | LP | LP
- LB Lavonte David (rest): n/a | n/a | DNP
The Saints (5-11) visit the Bucs (9-7) for a noon start at Raymond James Stadium in Week 18. Catch all the action on WWL and Audacy.