The Saints' comeback attempt on "Monday Night Football" fell short, but now the main concern is QB Derek Carr's status moving forward.
The New Orleans quarterback left the primetime contest late in the fourth quarter after taking a hit to the midsection. At the time of his exit, the Saints were trailing the Chiefs 23-13, and New Orleans eventually lost 26-13.
It was an up-and-down performance out of Carr before the injury. When he left the game, he was 18-for-28 for 165 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
QB Jake Haener finished the game in place of Carr.
Here's the latest on Carr's injury.
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Derek Carr injury update
Carr is expected to miss "multiple games" with an oblique injury, per NFL insider Mike Garafolo.
"New Orleans has two games in the next nine days, and the likelihood is Carr misses [Week 6] against vs. the Buccaneers and [Week 7] vs. the Broncos," Garafolo added.
Carr appeared to be injured after he was hit on a fourth down pass attempt during the fourth quarter of the Chiefs-Saints "Monday Night Football" contest.
On fourth-and-8, Carr felt the pressure from the Chiefs' defensive line, causing him to launch a deep ball to tight end Mason Tipton. The pass slipped through the hands of Tipton, resulting in a turnover on downs.
However, the main concern was the status of Carr. He was popped on the play and went into the medical tent after getting to the sidelines. The QB then went to the locker room.
The Saints later ruled that Carr was "questionable" to return with an oblique injury.
Derek Carr (oblique) is questionable to return.
— New Orleans Saints PR (@SaintsPR) October 8, 2024
Carr spoke to the media after the game and said that the oblique injury was "not good." His MRI results on Tuesday confirmed that.
Saints QB Derek Carr said the oblique injury actually occurred on the throw, even before he was hit and landed.
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) October 8, 2024
Said he wasn’t able to be effective enough to stay in the game and would’ve tried doing something to manage it, but there wasn’t enough time
Not sure yet about Week 6
The QB clarified that the injury was not from the hit, but from the throwing motion. He said that the torque on his throw is what caused the ailment.
"I couldn't do what I needed to do," Carr said in regards to potentially returning to the game.
Saints QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Derek Carr |
| 2 | Jake Haener |
| 3 | Spencer Rattler |
No. 1: Derek Carr
Since joining the Saints before the 2023 season, Carr's remained one of the league's most efficient quarterbacks.
Through four games this season, he's completed 72.0 percent of his passes, which would be a career high. The longtime Raider has relied on Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed to lift New Orleans' offense, and the results for the unit so far are outstanding.
Carr, 33, doesn't offer much rushing upside or game-changing arm strength, but he does bring precise passing and a strong pocket presence for the Saints.
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No. 2: Jake Haener
Haener, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Saints in 2023, didn't play at all in 2023 after being suspended six games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. He was the third-string quarterback behind Carr and Jameis Winston.
However, with Winston out of the picture, Haener has become QB2 for New Orleans. A strong camp gave Haener the backup role, and he's seen action in two games this season. In Week 1, his only pass attempt was incomplete, and in Week 2, his three rushing attempts went for negative three yards.
If Carr happens to go down with an injury, Haener, who spent three years as the starter at Fresno State, would step in.
No. 3: Spencer Rattler
Rattler has a lot of buzz surrounding him as a fifth-round rookie, but for now, he's QB3 for the Saints.
Over his college career between Oklahoma and South Carolina, Rattler totaled 10,807 passing yards and 77 passing touchdowns against 32 interceptions.
New Orleans is giving Rattler some time to continue developing before potentially taking on a larger role or moving up on the depth chart over time.
