NEW ORLEANS (AP)— The boos seemed to rain down on Derek Carr until Lions defensive tackle Bruce Irvin landed hard on top of the Saints quarterback with less than 10 minutes remaining in New Orleans’ 33-28 loss to Detroit on Sunday.
Carr had to leave a game for the third time in his tenth NFL season, his first with the Saints, due to upper-body injuries, concussion symptoms, or both.
“I can’t imagine the mental battles that he’s going through,” said Saints left guard James Hurst, alluding to both the fans’ treatment of Carr and the physical toll the game has taken on the 32-year-old quarterback this season. “We understand the type of person he is. And as teammates, we love him and will fight for him.
According to the Saints, Carr injured his back and shoulder, which appeared to be his right (throwing) shoulder. He was also placed into the concussion protocol.
Carr left Week 3’s loss to Green Bay with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. It’s unclear how well the initial injury has healed, but Carr has recovered from all of his previous injuries this season without missing a game. Both times, the Saints (5-7) lost the following game he started.
When Carr took the field in New Orleans on Sunday, the atmosphere in the Superdome reflected a dissatisfied fanbase — if it even showed up.
Technically, season tickets for the Superdome are sold out. Based on the pervasive “Honolulu blue” in the stands—and the reverberating chants of, “Let’s Go Lions!”—it appeared that a number of locals had sold their tickets on the secondary market to Detroit fans.
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