The New Orleans Saints suffered a brutal loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. The team fell apart in the fourth quarter, blowing what was a 17-0 lead and losing 18-17. New Orleans was in a position to win near the end, but rookie Blake Grupe missed a 46-yard field goal attempt, sealing their fate.
However, the blemish on their record wasn’t the worst loss that the Saints suffered. That would likely fall on Derek Carr, who was forced out of the game because of a shoulder injury suffered in the third quarter of Sunday’s game when taking a sack.
Without Carr in the lineup, the Saints’ offense sputtered and was a big part of why the team blew their lead. He was later diagnosed with a sprained AC joint and has been deemed week-to-week by the team.
The Saints are expected to show caution with their starting quarterback, as pain tolerance and ability to function will be the biggest factors in getting back on the field.
However, things aren’t off to a great start for his availability. According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Carr was not participating in practice on Thursday, but he was feeling better.
The Saints have not ruled Carr out for their Week 4 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he is trending in the wrong direction. Head coach Dennis Allen didn’t specify how severe the injury was either, opting to not reveal the grade of the sprain.
“We’re not making any decisions today; we’re not ruling anything out,” Allen said. “We’ll see where he’s at as the week goes on.”
“All I can tell you is that he was much better today than he was yesterday,” Allen said. “We’re going to continue to evaluate him, and when he’s healthy enough that he can go out and perform and do the things that he needs to do to give our team a chance to win, then he’ll be back in there.”
If Carr is unable to get on the field, the Saints will turn to Jamies Winston to start in his place. Winston completed 10-of-16 passes in relief against the Packers for 101 yards. He has plenty of experience as a starter, so the offense shouldn’t have to change much if he were to be under center.
Unfortunately for the Saints, shuffling at the quarterback position is something they are used to. Carr was the eighth different quarterback the Saints have started since 2019, as they have had multiple starters in every season from that campaign on.
