Derek Carr's left hand injury possibly will not require surgery, and the New Orleans Saints' starting quarterback could recover in time from that injury – and a concussion – in time to start next Sunday.
Interim head coach Darren Rizzi said Monday it will be a week-to-week situation for Carr. The Saints (5-8), who have won three of four games since Rizzi was named interim head coach, play the Commanders (8-5) on Sunday in the Caesars Superdome.
"I don't believe it's going to be an (injured reserve) situation," Rizzi said Monday. "I think it's going to be a week-to-week situation. We're going to kind of take this day-by-day this week, going to see how this week plays out, but that's really where we are right now.
"He is in the concussion protocol also, he's got to complete the first step of that (Tuesday). So it is a double aspect in terms of dealing with the injuries, so we've got to see what happens there.
"But this will be a day-to-day this week, and really I think the way it looks, it's going to end up being a week-to-week situation with him."
Carr suffered both injuries with 4:06 remaining in New Orleans 14-11 victory over the Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Carr went airborne at the end of a 9-yard scramble on second-and-10 from the Saints' 30-yard line, was hit midair by Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson and safety Dane Belton and braced his fall with his left hand before his head hit the turf on the sideline out of bounds.
After several minutes down, he was helped to the locker room. Carr completed 20 of 31 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, with an interception, and was sacked once against the Giants.
Rizzi said if Carr can play, he'll wear a protective device on his left hand.
"It's a good news-bad news situation," Rizzi said. "The good news is, it's not his throwing hand. The bad news is we're obviously dealing with an injury here that we have to kind of play it by ear with.
"I'll say this: (Playing an injury to the non-throwing hand has) been done before. It appears at the moment that it's non-surgical, which is a big aspect of it. If it was surgical, we'd be talking about having a different conversation, which is why this is going to remain day-to-day, week-to-week type of thing.
"But it has been done before. I think you guys have seen before where guys have played with (protection for their non-throwing hand). So that's why we're going to kind of discuss the options and see where we're at.
"We're also dealing with the concussion aspect of it, so we have to make sure that he's cleared there and we'll take it one step at a time. If the clears the concussion, then we'll see is he going to be able to function."
The concussion is Carr's third in the last two seasons; he suffered concussions and shoulder injuries against Minnesota (Week 10) and Detroit (Week 13) last season, as well as a sprained AC joint in his right (throwing) shoulder against Green Bay in Week 3. But Carr didn't miss a start in 2023.
He sat out three games this year with an oblique injury suffered against Kansas City in Week 5, and Spencer Rattler started each of those games. Jake Haener has served as the No. 2 quarterback in every game this year.
Rattler was elevated to starter for the three games after serving as the emergency quarterback the first five games, and he has been the emergency quarterback in the five games since Carr returned from the oblique injury.
"We'll have to make a decision here (Monday), if Derek doesn't go, the direction we're going to go between Jake and Spencer," Rizzi said. "We'll meet this afternoon and have a plan.
"Whoever that guy is is probably going to get the majority of the reps moving forward this week in the event that Derek doesn't play. I'll sit down with (offensive coordinator) Klint (Kubiak) and with (quarterbacks coach) Andrew Janocko and the offensive staff, and we'll make a final decision on whether we're going to move forward this week with Jake or Spencer and we'll go from there.
"I actually think both guys give us a chance to win."
But, Rizzi said, he's not counting out Carr.
"We're not going to rule him out just yet," he said. "I think we have to see how the next day or two, what the healing process is like and see if he can function."
