Saints QB Derek Carr is ‘believed to have suffered a sprained shoulder’ in New Orleans’ 18-17 loss to Green Bay

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr was evaluated for a shoulder injury after being sacked in the third quarter of an 18-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters after the game that he believed Carr was receiving X-rays but had no further updates at the time.

“He’s being evaluated,” Allen said. ‘I can’t really tell you more. It’s a shoulder injury. He is being evaluated. When we find out what it is, we’ll let you know.”

NFL Network reported that Carr was taken to the hospital for further evaluation after initial X-rays were taken at the stadium, and it is believed he suffered a sprained AC joint.

As of now, Carr’s timeline for returning to the field is expected to depend on how quickly the swelling around the injury resolves and how quickly he is able to regain proper mobility in his shoulder.

Carr was sacked by Green Bay defenseman Rashan Gary, who knocked him to the ground

Carr remained on the ground for several minutes before finally heading to the locker room

Carr remained on the ground for a few minutes after being sacked by Packers defenseman Rashan Gary before leaving the field under his own power. He was checked out in the blue medical tent before heading to the locker room.

The potential impact of a long-term injury on Carr, who signed a four-year, $150 million contract this offseason after being released by Las Vegas, was evident from Sunday’s result.

New Orleans (2-1) led 17-0 when Carr was injured. The Saints were outscored 18-0 without him, although backup Jameis Winston drove New Orleans into scoring position before Blake Grupe’s 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right with 1:05 left.

“We know we let this one pass us by,” Winston said. “But we will be resilient. We will persevere.’

New Orleans’ late collapse prevented the Saints from getting off to their first 3-0 start since 2013, when they won their first five games.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) is helped to his feet after an injury

Carr was 13 of 18 for 103 yards with a touchdown pass. Winston went 10 of 16 for 101 yards. The Saints needed their passing game to do well, as they rushed for just 77 yards on 22 carries while Jamaal Williams was on injured reserve and Alvin Kamara completed his three-game suspension to open the season.

Carr’s injury coming should not have been a surprise.

New Orleans has allowed a dozen sacks in three games. The Saints’ offensive line took a blow Sunday when guard Cesar Ruiz left with a concussion in the first half.

“It’s terrible when someone gets hurt,” guard James Hurst said. “As an offensive lineman, our job is to keep him up, keep him off the ground, and the reality is you never know what hit it’s going to be. It could be any hit. He can get sacked or he can throw the ball and still get hit. Our job is to keep him alive, to protect him. He’s been hit too many times, so it’s very sad for him.”

There was plenty of blame to go around for the Saints’ inflated lead.

New Orleans benefited in the first two from a bend-but-don’t-break defense that had allowed eight field goals but just one touchdown. New Orleans continued that pattern for much of the day as the Packers had four scoreless trips into Saints territory.

When Jordan Love threw an incompletive fourth-and-2 from the New Orleans 13-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Saints’ 17-0 lead seemed safe.

Quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the New Orleans Saints stands up slowly after a hit

But the defense finally broke down in that final period as Love led three consecutive scoring drives, including touchdowns on back-to-back possessions. Green Bay picked up a big assist on its first touchdown drive on pass interference penalties on Alontae Taylor and Isaac Yiadom, which totaled 67 yards.

“They started doing some things a little differently,” Saints linebacker Demario Davis said. “They could move the ball at pace. The quarterback just made some plays, the receivers made some catches. You have to give them credit, they made some plays along the way.”

The Saints gave up 20 points or fewer for the 11th straight game, but that didn’t provide any comfort for a team now worried about the future of its quarterback.

“We felt like we pretty much had the game in our hands,” said Rashid Shaheed, whose 76-yard kick return gave the Saints an early 14-0 lead. “It ultimately came down to execution, and we just didn’t do that.”