New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr has warned he is "no savior" as he prepares to make his return from the sidelines amid the Saints' sharp downturn in form.
The 33-year-old has been missing from action since the Week 5 clash with the Kansas City Chiefs after sustaining a left oblique strain. In his absence, turbulence has ensued at the Superdome with the Saints' slump extending to six successive defeats - their worst run in nearly two decades.
The New Orleans offense has struggled without its star QB too, with the team managing a paltry three touchdowns in as many outings in recent weeks. Rookie Spencer Rattler deputized for the injured Carr in October, but it is now expected that Jake Haener will serve as back-up to the returning star moving forward.
Coach Dennis Allen explained the reasoning behind this decision, saying: "We felt like Rattler gave us the best chance at the time, and so I think we'll see where we're at come this weekend, what the expectation is. My expectation is that Derek's going to be ready to go.
"In that case, Jake will be the backup. I don't want to get into the specifics of the reasons why, but I feel like that's the best thing for our team."
Reflecting on his longest injury spell since 2017, Carr admitted: "It sucks having to sit there and watch when it wasn't the most painful thing I've ever dealt with. It really wasn't ... it was just a lack of being able to do my job. And so that was the most frustrating part, because I couldn't just play through it, you know?
"I just literally couldn't do it. ... It's been the most frustrating injury I've ever had. Besides breaking my ankle and not being able to play in the playoffs that year. ... because there's literally nothing that I could do, but wait and just let it heal."
The quarterback also moved to dampen expectations ahead of his return amid the team's barren run as he confessed that he cannot arrest the slide all on his own. He asserted: "I am no savior. There's only been one of those and, that is not me.
"I am here to be a great leader and to be a great teammate and to do my job the best of my ability. And do I feel confident in what I can do? Absolutely. I feel confident in what I can do. I feel confident in what I can bring to our team. And that's exciting, right?"
Carr added: "But to save us or anything like that, that's not me, I'm going to come in and do what my guys expect me to do. Bring energy, bring effort, be a great teammate. Encourage our guys, get everybody on the same page, lock in the details, hold each other accountable."
