Derek Carr has dealt with numerous shoulder and head injuries throughout this season, and he may have hurt his upper body again.
The Saints quarterback took a massive tackle in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Week 13 contest against the Lions. Carr stayed down on the field before eventually working his way to the locker room.
Jameis Winston has since taken over in his place. The Saints have ruled Carr as doubtful to return with shoulder and back injuries, as well as being placed in concussion protocol.
It's been an up-and-down season for Carr in his first year in New Orleans. The 32-year-old has been dealing with a shoulder injury since Week 3 when he sprained an AC joint. He took a big hit two weeks ago against the Vikings as well, which caused him to leave the game.
At the time of his exit, Carr was 17 for 22 for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Here are all the latest updates on Carr's injuries.
Derek Carr injury update
Carr exited with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter of the Saints' Week 13 contest against the Lions. The New Orleans QB took a heavy hit from Lions defensive end Bruce Irvin as he attempted a pass over the middle
#Saints quarterback Derek Carr is being carted off the field after taking this brutal hit.
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 3, 2023
Jameis Winston warming up…pic.twitter.com/jAcH256aQQ
Irvin was assessed a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer on the play.
Carr stayed on the ground for a bit before the cart came out for him, however he ended up getting up and walking to the sidelines under his own power before making his way to the locker room.
The quarterback has since been ruled doubtful to return. He is dealing with shoulder and back injuries, as well as being evaluated for a concussion.
Saints QB depth chart
With Carr out of the game, that paves the way for Winston to lead the offense.
The veteran quarterback is in fourth season with New Orleans. Despite his previous experience as a starter with the Buccaneers, Winston has been operated mostly as a backup during his time with the Saints.
Sunday's Week 13 appearance marks the fifth of the season for Winston. He previously saw game action in Week 3 when Carr left the game with a shoulder injury, completing 10 of 16 passes for 101 yards. He also made an appearance in Week 11 against the Vikings when Carr was hurt from a hit by Minnesota lineman Danielle Hunter.
In addition to Winston, the Saints have quarterback/tight end Taysom Hill as an option under center. The 33-year-old Swiss army knife is used mostly as a wildcat option, but does have experience playing quarterback in the traditional sense.
And if Carr needs to miss time beyond Week 13, the Saints could turn to rookie Jake Haener, who is on the 53-man roster but was inactive for Sunday's game.
Sporting News may earn an affiliate commission through our links. The Sporting News' affiliates have no influence over the editorial content included in this article.
