The New Orleans Saints are about to enter a crucial point of their season.
After a promising 2-0 start, the Klint Kubiak-led offense has lost steam and now its leader is facing a spell on the sideline.
Derek Carr reportedly will miss multiple weeks after a suffering an oblique injury in Week 5's road loss versus the Kansas City Chiefs. With Carr out, the Saints have two home games in the next nine days: versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos.
Carr could push to play sooner, but his oblique injury is "significant," NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday.
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So, who are New Orleans' backups behind Carr? Here's what to know:
Who is the Saints' backup quarterback?
NFL
While some teams operate with just two quarterbacks on the depth chart, the Saints have three. Behind Carr is Jake Haener, a 25-year-old, 2023 fourth-rounder out of Fresno State, and Spencer Rattler, a 2024 fifth-rounder out of South Carolina.
Who will start for the Saints at quarterback?
When Carr left the game versus Kansas City, Haener stepped in to close it out. The 6-foot-1 signal caller completed 2 of 7 passes for 17 yards, with a long of 11. He also rushed for 11 yards on two tries.
But it's actually Rattler who will get the nod in the absence of Carr, Saints head coach Dennis Allen confirmed Wednesday.
The fifth rounder has not played in the regular season, but may do so soon.
Spencer Rattler college stats
If Rattler does get the starting nod in place of Carr, it could be useful to revisit his last season in college. As a fifth-year senior with South Carolina, Rattler completed 275 of 399 passes (68.9%) for 3,186 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight picks. He also had 104 rushing yards on 97 attempts and four touchdowns.
Derek Carr 2024 stats
Through five games in 2024, Carr has completed 90 of 128 passes (70.3%) for 989 yards, eight touchdowns and four picks. His longest completion is 70 yards, while he has been sacked five times.
