METAIRIE, La. — Less than a week after suffering a game-ending shoulder injury against the Packers, Saints quarterback Derek Carr was back at practice – albeit in limited capacity – on Friday.
Carr, who sprained his AC joint in his right throwing arm at the start of the second half in Green Bay, was seen throwing passes in the red zone during the open practice to media.
"He was limited in practice today," said Saints head coach Dennis Allen after practice. "Every day he has gotten better. I thought he did a nice job today, we'll see where he's at (Saturday) and go from there.
"I don't want to make any statements in terms of what his availability actually is going to be. He's questionable right now. I have no idea how he's going to feel (Saturday). We'll see where he's at and we'll be able to make a determination."
Carr is listed as questionable for the game.
Should Carr not be able to start against the Bucs on Sunday, the Saints will turn to former starter Jameis Winston, who went 10-of-16 for 101 yards in a losing effort as New Orleans surrendered a 17-0 second-half lead to fall 18-17 following Carr's injury.
However, the Saints – including Carr – are not concerned.
"From what I got to watch, he did a great job," Carr said. "Jameis is a starter in this league. We have a couple of guys that can start NFL football games in our league, and Jameis is another one of those guys.
"Jameis came in – in practice I take every rep and he did a great job of stepping in with no reps and playing good football. As he knows, in that role no matter where you're at, when you're called upon, that's the expectation. I thought he did a great job for what he was asked to do."
Winston says he's ready no matter who gets the call.
"Right now, we don't know (who will start)," Winston said. "But I know that I'm prepared and ready to go.
"I'm not sure if I've been in this situation before, but I know that someone has and I'm just grateful for the opportunity."
One key to Saints success this week is the return of running back Alvin Kamara, who missed the first three games due to an NFL suspension levied against him as punishment for a Las Vegas nightclub incident in February 2022.
See the Saints' final Week 4 injury report below:
- S – Jordan Howden, finger – out
- CB – Paulson Adebo, hamstring – out
- OG – Cesar Ruiz, concussion – out
- QB – Derek Carr, shoulder – questionable
- TE – Foster Moreau, ankle – questionable
New Orleans (2-1) hosts Tampa Bay (2-1) at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. Kickoff is set for noon.
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