New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr, who hasn’t played since suffering an oblique injury on Oct. 7, returned to practice on Wednesday and is expected to play Sunday against the host Carolina Panthers.
Carr, who was limited at practice, was expected to miss multiple weeks after the left oblique strain in the 26-13 loss to the host Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5.
“It sucks having to sit there and watch when it wasn’t the most painful thing I’ve ever dealt with,” Carr said Wednesday, referencing the broken ankle at the end of the 2017 season while with the Raiders. “It really wasn’t … it was just a lack of being able to do my job.
“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,” he continued. “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.”
The Saints opened the season 2-0 but have lost six in a row — the last three with rookie Spencer Rattler as the starter. Rattler, 24, was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of South Carolina. He has completed 59 of 99 passes (59.6 percent) for 571 yards, one TD and two picks.
New Orleans coach Dennis Allen said that Jake Haener, who replaced Carr in the Chiefs game, will be the top backup, ahead of Rattler.
“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. “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 passed for 989 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions this season, his second in New Orleans.
“I am no savior. There’s only been one of those and, that is not me,” Carr said with a laugh. “I am here to be a great leader and to be a great teammate and to do my job the best of my ability. And do I feel confident in what I can do? Absolutely. I feel confident in what I can do. I feel confident in what I can bring to our team. And that’s exciting, right?
“But to save us or anything like that, that’s not me, I’m gonna come in and do what my guys expect me to do. Bring energy, bring effort, be a great teammate. Encourage our guys, get everybody on the same page, lock in the details, hold each other accountable.”
He thanked the Saints’ athletic training staff for getting him back on the field by the end of the month, which he doesn’t believe is too soon or risky.
Carr also related texting with former Saints star QB Drew Brees, who had a similar injury the 2014 preseason and played through it. Brees advised Carr to maintain his mechanics, which he felt suffered when he returned to action.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection during nine seasons with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, Carr has completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 40,089 yards, 250 TDs and 111 interceptions in starting all 164 career regular-season games.
While Carr and running backs Alvin Kamara (hand/rib) and Jamaal Williams (groin) were limited participants on Wednesday, cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) and safety Tyrann Mathieu (illness) were among teammates that missed practice.