The boos seemed to rain down on Derek Carr until Lions defensive tackle Bruce Irvin crashed down hard on top of the the Saints quarterback with a little more than 10 minutes to go in New Orleans’ 33-28 loss to Detroit on Sunday.
For the third time in his 10th NFL season and first with the Saints, Carr had to leave a game with 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, referring both the fans’ treatment of Carr and the toll the game has taken on the 32-year-old QB’s body this season. “We know what type of person he is. And as a teammate, we love him and we’re going to fight for him.
In Week 3, Carr left a loss at Green Bay with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. It’s unclear how well that initial injury has healed, but Carr has come back from each of his previous injuries this season without missing a game. Both times, the Saints (5-7) lost the next game he started.
