Derek Carr began throwing the football over the weekend and had a few more throwing sessions this week. New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen is on record saying Carr playing this week was unlikely, but don’t allow Carr’s injury designation to make you think hope is still alive.
The Saints listed Carr as doubtful for one reason. They want to have the option to name him the emergency quarterback. If Carr was ruled out ahead of the game, he wouldn’t be able to assume this role.
Spencer Rattler is the starter and Jake Haener will be his backup. Carr’s ability to be the emergency quarterback is a good sign for his recovery, but it does not mean he’s healthy enough to start a full game and throw 20 or 30 passes. Allen has said before that his issues are mechanical, not related to pain tolerance. If there’s a hitch in his windup or some limited range of motion or torque, it could be disastrous.
Russell Wilson was the Steelers’ emergency quarterback for weeks before becoming the starting quarterback when he was healthy enough to play. That is essentially what this would be if Carr was the emergency quarterback in Week 8.
The Saints went through this process last week, but ultimately opted to make Carr inactive on game day. Still, they kept the door open, and that’s what they’re trying to do now.
