Derek Carr oblique injury update: Latest news on Saints QB after leaving 'Monday Night Football' vs. Chiefs

Bryan Murphy

Derek Carr oblique injury update: Latest news on Saints QB after leaving 'Monday Night Football' vs. Chiefs image

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. 

Carr spoke to the media after the game and said that the oblique injury was "not good." His MRI results on Tuesday confirmed that.

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

RankPlayer
1Derek Carr
2Jake Haener
3Spencer 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.

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.