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Katherine Terrell, ESPN writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr left Sunday’s 14-11 victory against the New York Giants with a left hand injury and a possible concussion, putting doubt their status for next week’s game against the Washington Commanders.
Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi said after the game that Carr is undergoing tests to determine the severity of the hand injury, but a league source told ESPN there is concern about a fracture.
“They’re going to do all the scans and x-rays and all that, so we’ll just take it by ear,” Rizzi said. “But he made a phenomenal effort to try to keep us going, to get a first down there, just a selfless player who dunked and I think he tried to put his hand down and get ready.”
Carr ran out and collided with teammate Kevin Austin Jr. after attempting to lunge at a Giants defender near the first down marker with four minutes left in the game. He extended his left arm to break his fall as he fell onto the grass. Carr’s helmet also collided with the grass when he fell to the ground and he did not stand up immediately after the collision.
Athletic trainers tended to Carr on the sideline before taking him to the injury tent, where he was briefly evaluated. He then went to the locker room and appeared to favor his left arm as he walked toward the tunnel.
“He just went for it,” Saints tight end Juwan Johnson said. “The thing is, before the series even started, he was just talking about how he was going to put it on the line. And that’s the true example of how to put it on the line… He cares a lot about his team. “And he always I will go to war with someone like that. It sucks that he got hurt, but I respect the decision for what he did. “He’s just trying to win.”
This is the second time Carr has come out of a game injured this season; He left in the fourth quarter of a Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with an oblique injury and missed the next three games before returning in Week 9.
Carr didn’t miss a game last season, his first with the Saints, but left three games early with injuries. He sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder last year, but returned the following week and also sat out two games to enter concussion protocol.
“It sucks,” Johnson said. “For a guy who has worked so hard, overall, on and off the field, it sucks to see how his season has played out, where he misses the most games than he’s probably missed in his career and probably more time will be lost or whatever the case may be.
“…But he’s been going through a tough time and we support him…We just have to be there for him.”
Jake Haener replaced Carr in both the Chiefs and Giants games, but did not attempt any passes in Sunday’s win. The Saints drafted rookie Spencer Rattler in the three games Carr missed, going 0-3. Rattler completed 59.6% of his passes for 571 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in those matchups.
“We still have guys like Haener,” Johnson said. “He’s been playing very well. He played very well in training camp. We’re excited to join him, let him do his thing and see how he develops.”
