The New Orleans Saints fortunes turned from bad to worse this week, with their starting quarterback expected to miss time as the team seeks to end a three-game losing streak.
Carr came off the field late during a Monday Night Football loss to the Chiefs in clear discomfort and what the team referred to as an oblique injury. He was checked in the medical tent and tested the injury out briefly before heading back to the locker room. The injury is significant enough that Carr is expected to miss multiple games, according to a report from the NFL Network.
Carr addressed the media after the game, a 26-13 loss in Kansas City, and said the injury was an issue but that he'd make every effort to play in Week 6 against the Bucs.
"I couldn’t do what I needed to do in the simplest form, and so I asked if there was anything we could do about it and there was not enough time to be able to do that," Carr said. "I’d have done anything to stay out there and keep fighting, but I just, I couldn’t. ... It sucks.”
The QB underwent an MRI on Tuesday.
Carr took a big hit on his final throw of the night, a 4th and 9 pass attempt targeting rookie WR Mason Tipton that fell incomplete. He said the injury actually occurred on the throw. Carr finished the 18-25 for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with an interception to end the Saints' opening drive.
The injury continues a string of issues that Carr has faced since joining the Saints as a free agent in the 2023 season. He suffered an AC joint sprain in Week 3 and later went into the concussion protocol, though he didn't miss a start. He struggled in Week 4 immediately following the injury in a home matchup against the Bucs, a game he played in despite not throwing throughout the week.
Should Carr miss time this year the Saints will have to choose between second-year pro Jake Haener and rookie Spencer Rattler. The pair competed throughout the preseason for the backup job, a role that's been held by Haener to this point. The former 2023 4th round pick has seen action in three games this season, the first two of which was to close out big wins. He took over for the final drive of Week 5 and was under constant pressure, completing 2 of 7 passes for 17 yards and rushing twice for 11 yards before turning the ball over on downs.
"I thought [Haener] went in and I thought he did fine," head coach Dennis Allen said on Tuesday. "I thought he was under duress a lot. We got to a point in the game where they were kind of cutting loose on the pass rush. I don't think there were a lot of opportunities for him."
The Saints could also turn to Rattler, a rookie 5th rounder who impressed during the preseason and has served as the emergency third QB to this point in the year. Whomever the Saints choose, it's likely they'll hold that decision close to the vest until the last possible moment heading into Week 6.
The Saints host the Bucs on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome before turning around to face Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, likely with a backup QB for both matchups.
