Oakland Raiders Quarterback Derek Carr Out for Two to Six Weeks With Back Injury
The Oakland Raiders will have to make do without starting quarterback Derek Carr in the coming weeks because he's currently dealing with a back injury.
Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has confirmed that Carr has been diagnosed with a transverse process fracture in his back and he's expected to miss two to six weeks of action due to the injury.
Carr injured his back in the third quarter of their 16–10 loss to the Denver Broncos this past Sunday when he took a knee to the back from defensive tackle Adam Gotsis. He stayed on the ground and grabbed his right back following the hit, and he was eventually helped off the field. After being examined by trainers on the sideline, Carr was escorted to the locker room and he did not return.
The team initially thought he was suffering from back spasms. However, further tests have revealed the severity of the injury.
"The MRI wasn't conclusive, so they did a CAT scan and that's where it was determined that there was a problem. He did the CAT scan after this morning, like this afternoon. This all just happened. The timeline was, first the X-ray yesterday, doesn't look like anything. Then the MRI this morning, still looks good. Then, let's be sure because we didn't have a real good look at this area, so the CAT scan revealed the problem," Del Rio said, via ESPN.
"He's bummed out, as you can expect. He didn't see this coming," he added.
E.J. Manuel came in for Carr after he went down with the injury. The fifth-year pro completed 11 of 17 passes for 106 yards during the game and he had an interception as well. Manuel should get the start at quarterback when the Raiders take on the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday.
The Raiders haven't played well without Carr in the past, so they have to hope that his injury will heal quickly.