With Derek Carr expected to miss multiple games, the New Orleans Saints will turn to a rookie quarterback to be under center.
Head coach Dennis Allen announced on Wednesday that Spencer Rattler will make his first career start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
‘We talked a lot as a staff about what we felt like was the best thing for us and give us the best chance to win the game,’ Allen told reporters: ‘That was the decision that we made and we’re excited about him getting an opportunity to go in there and we’ll let him go play and see what he can do.’
The Saints lost Carr in Monday night’s 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs when he left the game in the fourth quarter with an oblique injury. He was replaced by second-year quarterback Jake Haener for the remainder of the game. On Tuesday, NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport reported that Carr is expected to miss multiple games as he recovers.
What to know about Spencer Rattler
A fifth-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft, Rattler rose to prominence when he starred in the Netflix docuseries ‘QB1: Beyond the Lights’ during his senior year of high school in Arizona. A prized recruit, he committed to the Oklahoma Sooners and sat behind Jalen Hurts during his freshman season.
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Rattler became the starter in 2020 and despite some rocky moments, led the Sooners to a Big 12 title and a Cotton Bowl win. The following season, Rattler endured some early season struggles and in the Red River Rivalry against Texas, he was infamously benched in favor of freshman Caleb Williams, who engineered a comeback win for the Sooners. Williams took over the starting duties and Rattler opted to transfer after the season to South Carolina.
The quarterback won the starting job for the Gamecocks in 2022 and had a decent start to the season, but finished strong with upset wins over Tennessee and Clemson en route to a Gator Bowl appearance. The next season South Carolina finished 5-7, but Rattler had a breakout campaign, throwing a career-high 3,186 yards while setting the school’s single-season record for completions and completion percentage.
Rattler was taken by New Orleans with the 150th overall pick in the draft and was in stiff competition for the backup job against Haener after some impressive preseason performances.
This Sunday will the first time he appears in the regular season. The start also makes Rattler the fifth rookie quarterback to start this season, joining Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. Drake Maye was also named a starter this week for the New England Patriots.
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