It’s time for Spencer Rattler to make his NFL debut.
New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen announced Wednesday that Rattler will start in their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. He will start in place of usual starter Derek Carr, who is expected to miss several games due to an oblique injury.
Carr went down early Monday night in the Saints’ 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with an oblique injury. He took a hard hit while trying to complete a pass late in the fourth quarter, and is now expected to miss several games as a result. The Saints host the Denver Broncos next Thursday night, so they have a quick turnaround after their NFC South matchup.
Carr was replaced Monday night by Jake Haener, who went 2-of-7 for 17 yards in the final few minutes of that game. The second-year quarterback from Fresno State had attempted just one pass during his career in the league before Monday.
Instead of giving Haener another chance, the Saints will now turn to Rattler. New Orleans first selected him earlier this year in the fifth round of the NFL Draft out of South Carolina, where he moved after starting his career at Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley. Rattler threw for a career-high 3,186 yards and 19 touchdowns with the Gamecocks last season while leading them to a 5-7 finish.
Rattler has yet to appear in a game for the Saints this season, although he impressed in the preseason, putting together a game-winning drive against the Cardinals. He went 7 of 13 for 105 yards and also threw a touchdown in their preseason finale.
While the Saints will likely turn to Carr again if he’s healthy, Rattler will get his first chance in the league on Sunday afternoon. He is now the fifth starting quarterback in the league to start this season. The Saints, after starting the season with back-to-back wins, have lost three straight. The Buccaneers, who flew to New Orleans early to avoid Hurricane Milton, are 3-2 having suffered a 36-30 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week.
