Saints' Derek Carr May Play Sunday After Apparent Serious Throwing Shoulder Injury Last Week

Attention fantasy football enthusiasts. You may need to activate quarterback Derek Carr of the New Orleans Saints, and put backup Jameis Winston on hold for the moment.

Carr practiced Friday. Carr threw Friday. He participated with the first team in red zone drills and did virtually everything quarterbacks do on Fridays. The Saints then listed Carr as questionable after he was considered doubtful by most accounts previously. He did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday.

He threw Friday for the first time after he sprained the AC (acromioclavicular) joint in his right throwing shoulder where two bones meet on Sunday. Carr's shoulder was driven into the ground on a sack at Green Bay in the third quarter with the Saints up 17-0.

But he is better and has a chance to play Sunday against Tampa Bay (1 p.m., FOX). Players who practice on Fridays tend to play on Sunday in the NFL.

Derek Carr leaves the Saints' game at Green Bay Sunday with a shoulder injury in the third quarter. The Saints led 17-0 at the time, but lost 18-17. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

"Every day he has gotten better," Saints coach Dennis Allen said Friday. "I thought he did a nice job today. We'll see where he's at (Saturday) and go from there. I don't want to make any statements in terms of what his availability actually is going to be. He's questionable right now. I have no idea how he's going to feel."

Carr stayed on the ground in obvious pain for several minutes before leaving the game. And the Saints were never the same, losing 18-17. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 103 yards. The sack in which he was injured was his 11th of the season behind a struggling offensive line.

Saints Missed Derek Carr After Injury In Loss To Green Bay

Backup Jameis Winston replaced Carr and completed 10 of 16 passes for 101 yards, but no points. He completed 4 of 6 passes for 45 yards to get the Saints in field goal range in the final moments, but Blake Grupe missed a 46-yard field goal with 1:10 to go.

Carr, an off-season signee from the Raiders, was first thought to be out for the season, then for several weeks, before his injury was diagnosed as a sprain. Allen never ruled out Carr playing Sunday after the AC joint diagnosis. Some quarterbacks have come back within a week - others two weeks or more.

"We had a long conversation with the doctors and what the risk factors are," Allen said. "The risk gets less and less each week."

New Orleans Signed Carr For His Durability

"I'm going to do everything I can to be out there with my guys," Carr said Wednesday. "If I can play, I'll play. If I physically can't play, then I can't play."

Derek Carr missed one game because of injury in nine seasons with the Raiders. That was one of the main reasons the Saints signed him.

If Carr does play and is near 100 percent, the Saints' troubled offense will be at full strength for the first time all season as running back Alvin Kamara has returned from a three-game suspension and will play for the first time Sunday.

Not playing Sunday will be starting right guard Cesar Ruiz (concussion), cornerback Paulson Adebo (hamstring) and safety Jordan Howden (finger). Andrus Peat will start at left guard with James Hurst starting at right guard. Three Tampa Bay defensive starters are questionable - linebacker Devin White (toe), tackle Vita Vea (pectoral) and cornerback Carlton Davis (toe).