Saints QB Derek Carr’s doubtful return from hand injury

Carr’s hand injury may be worse than originally expected.

When the New Orleans Saints faced off against the New York Giants in Week 14, starting QB Derek Carr left the game with an apparent hand/wrist injury. Darren Rizzi revealed that the Saints would be assessing Carr’s availability week by week, and even after the game against the Commanders, this was still the belief. Today, it was reported that after further evaluation, Derek Carr’s return this season is doubtful, per Ian Rapoport.

This is not surprising news, but it is still very important. The Saints are no longer in the race for first place in the division due to the loss against the Commanders. Spencer Rattler will now be the starter, and if he can continue performing like he did against Washington, the Saints can feel a lot better about their future at QB. Darren Rizzi is also fighting for his job, and he needs to show success even with Carr being out. The odds are going to be against him, but Rizzi has shown resilience since being promoted, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Saints get some wins during the final stretch of the season.

With Carr being out, there is also some draft implications. As I mentioned with Rattler, if the Saints see enough from him, they can cross off QB as a potential selection in the 2025 Draft. The Saints draft position has not moved much in recent weeks, but with Carr being out, now there’s a higher chance New Orleans can have a better draft pick.

A lot can be learned from these last few weeks with Derek Carr being ruled out, but what are some storylines you may be focusing on? Do you think Spencer Rattler could show enough to become the future QB 1? What would you want to see from Darren Rizzi in the final part of the season?