The New Orleans Saints have officially ruled out quarterback Derek Carr

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  • Katherine Terrell, ESPN staff writerDecember 14, 2024, 4:45 PM ET

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      Katherine Terrell returned to ESPN to cover the New Orleans Saints in the summer of 2022. She left the company in 2019 after joining in 2016 to cover the Cincinnati Bengals. A graduate of LSU and a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Katherine has covered the NFL since 2013. You can follow Katherine on Twitter: @Kat_Terrell

NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders.

Carr, who was previously considered questionable to play, has a left hand injury and was placed in concussion protocol in the week leading up to the game.

This is the fourth game Carr has missed this season after sitting out three games with an oblique injury. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler started those three games in place of Carr, but the Saints have opted to start second-year quarterback Jake Haener against Washington.

Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi said Carr was “doing really well” with his progression through concussion protocol and had just one step left to make. The team was still deciding Friday whether Carr could potentially be active and back up Haener against the Commanders or be inactive and listed as the emergency third quarterback.

“We’re not ruling Derek out for this game at this point. We’ll kind of see how his hand progresses and it’s improving,” Rizzi said Friday. “We can either make him the backup quarterback, have him active for the game or make him the emergency third down. … If he’s functional and able to do that, that’s a possibility.”

The Saints also activated defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon from injured reserve. Kpassagnon has been out all fall after tearing an Achilles in the spring, and this is his first game back this season.