Saints QB Derek Carr expected to return, says he's 'no savior'
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is expected to play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers after missing the past three games with an oblique injury. Saints coach Dennis Allen said that Jake Haener will be Carr's backup even though the team started rookie Spencer Rattler in Carr's absence.
"We felt like Rattler gave us the best chance at the time, and so I think we'll see where we're at come this weekend, what the expectation is. My expectation is that Derek's going to be ready to go," Allen said on Wednesday. "In that case, Jake will be the backup. ... I don't want to get into the specifics of the reasons why, but I feel like that's the best thing for our team."
Carr has not played since leaving the end of a Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a left oblique strain. It's the longest amount of time he has missed with an injury since breaking his ankle at the end of the 2017 season when he was with the Raiders.
Carr said it was a "slow process" to return but gave credit to the Saints athletic training staff, who he said got him back on the field on the earlier side of the expected timetable to return.
"It sucks having to sit there and watch when it wasn't the most painful thing I've ever dealt with. It really wasn't ... it was just a lack of being able to do my job," Carr said. "And so that was the most frustrating part, because I couldn't just play through it, you know? I just literally couldn't do it. ... It's been the most frustrating injury I've ever had, besides breaking my ankle and not being able to play in the playoffs that year. ... because there's literally nothing that I could do, but wait and just let it heal."