The New Orleans Saints are without Derek Carr for a second straight game Thursday night. They may not have to wait too much longer for their starting quarterback to return to the field, however, with NFL Media reporting there's a chance the signal-caller will resume practice in time to suit up for Week 8.
Carr initially suffered an oblique injury late in the Saints' Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs -- a game he did not finish. Some estimated he could be sidelined for close to a month, forcing rookie fill-in Spencer Rattler, a 2024 fifth-round draft pick, to make an extended appearance as the starter.
Technically listed as doubtful before being ruled inactive for Thursday's game against the Denver Broncos, Carr would face additional hurdles to a game-day return even if he practices next week, per Ian Rapoport: "A lot ... has to happen for him to be out there," including testing the injury in live drills.
Saints coach Dennis Allen seemed to echo as much after Thursday's game, telling reporters that tight end Taysom Hill, who's also battling an injury, is likelier to return for Week 8 than Carr.
Fortunately, Carr would have extra time to prepare for a potential Week 8 return, as the Saints will have 10 days between Thursday night's contest with Denver and Oct. 27's matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Carr went 2-3, with eight touchdowns to four interceptions, before going down this season.