Report: Derek Carr’s camp thinks one factor prevented more serious injury

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s Week 3 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but the injury is not expected to be season-ending. That may be down to one particular factor, at least in the minds of those close to him.

Carr’s camp believes the quarterback was helped out because he suffered the injury on the natural grass of Lambeau Field instead of on turf, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The belief is that if Carr had been slammed into artificial turf instead of natural grass, the outcome could have been worse.

“Probably meant the difference,” one source told Florio regarding Carr’s injury.

This thinking comes against the backdrop of the grass vs. turf debate that flared up following Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury in Week 1. Some have argued that the MetLife Stadium turf was a factor in that injury and that turf, in general, can lead to greater injury risks compared to playing on grass.

Carr may still miss time with his shoulder issue, but reports indicate that he dodged a far worse outcome and is likely to return this season.