Saints QB Derek Carr Upgraded To Week-To-Week, Not Several Weeks Or The Season With Shoulder Injury

One of the main reasons the New Orleans Saints signed quarterback Derek Carr was because of his durability. He missed one game through nine previous seasons with the Raiders.

When Carr went down with an injury to his right, throwing shoulder Sunday with the Saints leading, 17-0, at Green Bay in the third quarter, the initial fear was he was out for the season. Later Sunday night, a more likely projection was several weeks.

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

As of Monday afternoon, Carr could be back in two weeks, or perhaps even for the Saints' home game on Sunday against Tampa Bay (1 p.m., FOX). Without Carr, the Saints lost, 18-17. to drop to 2-1.

Saints QB Derek Carr Expected Back More Sooner Than Later

Saints coach Dennis Allen said Monday that Carr's injury is only a sprained AC joint - the acromioclavicular joint in the shoulder where two bones meet. The NFL Network reported Carr's injury as the AC joint on Sunday night, but did not report how long Carr may be out. Allen did.

"We're saying week-to-week," Allen told reporters. "I think we dodged a bullet there in terms of anything of real significance. We'll evaluate him as he goes throughout the week this week."

The possibility of Carr playing Sunday exists.

"We're not ruling anything out," Allen said. "He felt better today than he did yesterday, so we’re not making any decisions today."

The Saints will have star running back Alvin Kamara available Sunday for the first time this season. He returns to practice this week after a three-game suspension from a battery arrest in February of 2022 at a Las Vegas nightclub while at the Pro Bowl. Kamara rushed for 897 yards on 223 carries last season and caught 57 passes for 490 yards.

Carr completed 13 of 18 passes for 103 yards on Sunday with an 8-yard touchdown to tight end Jimmy Graham for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The injury happened when Green Bay linebacker Rashan Gary sacked Carr, driving his shoulder into the ground. Carr stayed down for several minutes before leaving the game in obvious pain and was examined at a nearby hospital before making the plane trip home with the team.

Green Bay came back to win 18-17 with all its points in the fourth quarter.

Rookie kicker Blake Grupe missed a 46-yard field goal wide right with 1:10 to go, and Green Bay ran out the clock. Backup quarterback Jameis Winston completed 4 of 6 passes for 45 yards to get the Saints in field goal range. Winston finished 10-of-16 passing for 101 yards and will start Sunday if Carr does not.