Report: Saints' Derek Carr Avoided 'Major' Shoulder Injury After Exiting vs. Vikings

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game after suffering a shoulder injury and a concussion, per Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported after the game that "it's believed that Carr has avoided a major injury to his shoulder." NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added that Carr is "hopeful" to return after the team's bye week.

Carr suffered the injuries midway through the third quarter and was replaced by Jameis Winston.

Prior to exiting the game, Carr threw for 110 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions on 13-of-18 passing. This is the second time this season that he's had to leave a game early, as he sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder in a Week 3 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

The Saints were trailing 27-3 when Carr went down, but Winston led them on two touchdown drives to make it a one-possession game. New Orleans ended up losing 27-19 to fall to 5-5.

Carr has not had the season he was hoping for when he signed with the Saints on a four-year, $150 million contract, but he had been gaining some momentum recently. He helped lead New Orleans to back-to-back wins in each of the last two weeks, throwing two touchdowns and completing over 70 percent of his passes in both games. He entered Sunday's game against Minnesota with 2,121 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions this season.

In addition to losing Carr, the Saints also ruled out star wide receiver Michael Thomas after he suffered a knee injury on their first offensive drive of the game.

Luckily for New Orleans, the team's bye week is coming up in Week 11, so there will be extra time for key players like Carr and Thomas to recover.