Derek Carr will return to practice on Wednesday and Saints head coach Dennis Allen is "optimistic" his starting quarterback will play next Sunday according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.

Carr has missed the last three weeks with the oblique issue, and his return will be a big boost for a flailing Saints outfit that has dropped six in a row. The good news? The Panthers are up next and Carr has already torched them once this season, and New Orleans has generally gotten healthier on offense over the last two weeks. Carr will be a borderline QB1 against a Panthers defense that is one of the worst in the NFL.