Derek Carr made a surprising return to Raiders practice on Thursday despite being diagnosed with a transverse process fracture earlier this week. However, that unexpected re-emergence doesn’t mean he’ll return for Week 5.
Oakland’s franchise quarterback will still miss the Raiders’ home tilt against the Ravens on Sunday, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com notes. EJ Manuel will still take the field for the first time as a Raiders starter, being set to do so because the Raiders don’t want to unnecessarily accelerate Carr’s return timetable, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes.
The fourth-year passer was given a two-to-six-week recovery schedule despite the fact Tony Romo and Cam Newton returned from transverse process fractures after missing one game apiece. Carr went through the team’s stretching period and got in some throws, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, but it doesn’t sound like this was an extensive workout barely four days after suffering the back injury. Left tackle Donald Penn also referred to Carr as “very ahead of schedule,” per Bair (on Twitter).
The Raiders have home games against the Ravens and Chargers the next two Sundays before the Chiefs make a visit to the Bay Area for a critical Thursday-night clash. Bair and Gehlken note there’s a chance Carr returns for the Week 6 game against the Bolts. That goal being in play would, if nothing else, put Carr on a better track to face the Chiefs, if indeed he sits against the Chargers the Sunday prior.