METAIRIE, La. — Saints quarterback Derek Carr stated publicly for the first time that he has a shoulder injury, but stopped short of disclosing any specifics about how or when it happened, or how it might affect his availability to play during the coming season.
''I hate that I have to say this, but I have to say this: Yes, I have a shoulder injury,'' Carr said while delivering a guest sermon at a church in Las Vegas on Sunday.
''I have an MRI report to prove it,'' Carr continued. "The team knows about it. We've been in constant communication. There's nothing wrong. We're figuring it out and we're going to go forward with that. Is that OK?"
''I've been dealing with people lying about me ... and I'm like, ‘Lord, why do I have to continue to deal with this nonsense?'' Carr continued. "You never know what someone's really going through. And so why do we continually try to attack people — and I would say attack people that are maybe trying to do things the right way?"
Carr's sermon took place two days after the Saints used their second-round pick — the 40th overall — in this year's NFL draft, to select Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough.
The Saints picked Shough two days after the club's general manager, Mickey Loomis, acknowledged publicly that Carr has ''an issue'' with his shoulder about which the Saints are seeking more ''clarity.''
The issue first arose when NFL.com, citing an anonymous source, reported on April 11 that Carr might need shoulder surgery which could cause him to miss part or all of the upcoming season.
The report did not state which shoulder Carr injured or how he injured it. Carr's agent, Timothy Younger, did not return multiple messages from The Associated Press about the matter. And until Wednesday, the Saints had not addressed it, either.
