New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr suffered a right shoulder injury and concussion in Sunday’s 27-19 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Head coach Dennis Allen made it clear after the game that Carr was out due to a concussion, but Allen did not elaborate. He added that Carr will be the team’s starter going forward, although backup Jameis Winston sparked the struggling offense in relief.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Carr hopes to return to the team after the upcoming departure.
Carr apparently suffered the injuries in the third quarter after taking a hit from Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter just before completing a pass to Chris Olave. Carr left the field and then walked to the locker room on a cart before being ejected from the game.
New Orleans was down 27-3 at the time of Carr’s exit. He left after completing 13 of 18 passes for 110 yards.
Winston came into the game after a Saints timeout and ended the running drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Olave. The throw sparked a valiant comeback attempt thanks to New Orleans’ backup QB.
Winston found AT Perry for another touchdown to cap off a nine-play, 51-yard drive early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to one score. But as the Saints defense continued to force punts, Winston caught an interception late in the final frame. The 29-year-old veteran finished consecutive drives late to seal the Saints’ fate with picks. Winston completed 13 of 25 passes for 122 yards with two TDs and two INTs.
While Sunday’s result snapped the Saints’ two-game winning streak, the health of their starting quarterback is the ongoing concern. And for the second time this season, it has to do with Carr’s throwing shoulder.
Carr left the Week 3 loss to the Green Bay Packers without returning and was soon diagnosed with a sprained ACL. Despite initially being considered week-to-week, Carr has yet to miss a start this season.
New Orleans also suffered injuries to wideout Michael Thomas (knee) and cornerback Marshon Lattimore (ankle) at the end of Sunday’s loss.