New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr disagreed with former teammate Michael Thomas’ accusation that Carr made a dangerous play Sunday that resulted in wide receiver Chris Olave being diagnosed with a concussion and taken to the hospital.
“That’s something I just would never do a teammate,” Carr said. “You know, because it was single high, the ball went to where we talked about it going and Chris got hit in the head.
“Unfortunately, that happens in our game and I would never do it on purpose.”
Thomas made his accusation in a series of posts on X while members of the Saints medical staff tended to Olave following a hard hit from Carolina Panthers defensive back Xavier Woods.
Michael Thomas weighed in after Chris Olave was stretchered off the field in Saints-Panthers…
On Derek Carr.https://t.co/K6DuuTR22U pic.twitter.com/GjxhBOOpAf
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 3, 2024
Thomas alleged that Carr set up Olave and called him “ass” in a few posts.
This isn’t the first time Thomas has insulted Carr via social media. In January, he claimed in a since-deleted tweet that Carr set him up with a bad ball that derailed his 2023 season.
Carr said he’s not sure why Thomas has a problem with him but that Carr still “has love for him.”
“I’ve had so many teammates over the years and he’s like the one dude that didn’t get along with me,” Carr said. “I don’t know what I did to him. I don’t know why he feels that way. I’m sorry, you know, for whatever he’s dealing with to make him feel like he’s got to do that.”
Carr added that Thomas has never reached out to discuss his issues.
“My phone number has never changed,” Carr said. “I’ve, in fact, called him on different occasions, you know, just, just to try. And sometimes you can try as hard as you want, it just doesn’t work out and that’s OK.”
Carr said he hadn’t seen Sunday’s tweets and didn’t plan on reading them but he continues to wish Thomas the best.
“I hope he gets on the team and does what he wants to do and loves it,” Carr said.
He later added: “I just hope he gets what he’s looking for.”
New Orleans selected Thomas, 31, as a second-round pick in 2016. He spent seven years with the Saints, recording 565 catches for 6,569 yards and 36 touchdowns. But after a scorching start to his career, which included him leading the NFL in receptions in 2018 and 2019, injuries limited him to just 20 games from 2020 to 2023.
The Saints released Thomas in the offseason and he remains a free agent.
(Photo: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)
