New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr left their 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs early Monday night with an oblique injury in the fourth quarter.
As the Saints tried to convert on a deep fourth down late in the game at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs sent an all-out blitz to Carr to force an incompletion. Carr stood up slowly after taking a hard hit in the backfield, and a few plays later was seen walking slowly to the locker room without his helmet.
The Saints initially said he was questionable to return with an oblique injury, although further details are not yet known. Carr did not return to the match. He finished throwing 18 of 28 for 165 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Afterwards, Saints coach Dennis Allen said Carr had a “left side injury” and would undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Carr said he did not injure himself on the hit, but when he turned to throw the ball during the same play. “I couldn’t do what I had to do, in the simplest form,” Carr said.
Without Carr, the Saints turned to Jake Haener to guide them the rest of the way. Haener, who New Orleans took in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Fresno State, has now played in three games this season — though he had attempted just a single pass before Monday night. Haener finished going 2 of 7 for 17 yards to close the game.
The Chiefs were in front throughout Monday night and took the 13-point win, pushing them to a perfect 5-0. Patrick Mahomes threw for 331 yards and had an interception for the Chiefs, marking his ninth straight regular-season game with a pick. Kareem Hunt had 102 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.
Alvin Kamara led the Saints with just 26 yards on 11 carries. Rashid Shaheed had 86 yards and a touchdown on four catches. Foster Moreau caught Carr’s other touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, briefly cutting the game to three points. However, the Chiefs scored 10 unanswered points to end the game and take the win.
New Orleans, after two big wins to start the year, has now dropped three in a row. The Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Carr’s status for that matchup is unknown.
