Coming off their second consecutive loss, the Oakland Raiders received some more bad news on Monday.
Derek Carr will likely miss 2-6 weeks with a transverse process fracture in his back, an injury he sustained in the third quarter of the Raiders’ 16-10 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, according to head coach Jack Del Rio. The diagnosis following a CAT scan comes as a surprise, considering Del Rio told reporters Carr had “back spasms” after the game Sunday.
Del Rio just got the results of Carr’s CAT Scan 10 minutes ago so not a lot of details. 2-6 weeks
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) October 2, 2017
“It could be as short as two weeks — it could be longer,” Del Rio said. “When he can come back, he’ll come back.”
While two weeks would be considered an early return, there is precedent that the timetable could be shorter. Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo returned just one week after sustaining the injury in 2014, as did Cam Newton following a car crash the same year.
The injury is another blow for a Raiders team that is currently struggling, and for Carr who missed the playoffs last season after breaking his leg. E.J. Manual is Carr’s backup and is expected to start against the Ravens on Sunday.