It’s time for Spencer Rattler to make his NFL debut.
New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen announced Wednesday that Rattler will start their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. He will start in place of regular starter Derek Carr, who is expected to miss several games with an oblique injury.
Carr went down in the Saints’ 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs early Monday night with an oblique injury. He took a hard hit while trying to make 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’ll have a brief change of pace after their NFC South matchup.
Carr was replaced by Jake Haener on Monday night, who went 2 of 7 for 17 yards in the final minutes of that contest. Fresno State’s sophomore quarterback had attempted just one pass in his league career before Monday.
Instead of giving Haener another chance, the Saints will now turn to Rattler. New Orleans first selected him in the fifth round of the NFL Draft earlier this year out of South Carolina, where he transferred after beginning his career at Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley. Rattler threw for a career-high 3,186 yards and 19 touchdowns with the Gamecocks last season, 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 and put together a game-winning drive in a matchup with the Cardinals. He was 7 of 13 for 105 yards and also threw a touchdown in the final preseason game.
While the Saints will likely turn to Carr again when he’s healthy, Rattler will get his first opportunity in the league on Sunday afternoon. He is now the fifth rookie 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 and are coming off a 36-30 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week.