Spencer Rattler set to start at QB for the Saints against the Buccaneers

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler is scheduled to take his first regular-season NFL snaps on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Saints coach Dennis Allen selected Rattler as this week's starter on Wednesday after confirming that usual starter Derek Carr will miss at least one game because of a left oblique injury that occurred in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 26-13 loss in Kansas City on Monday night.

“We just internally talked a lot about it and felt like in this particular game he was going to give us the best chance to win,” Allen said. “He’s a rookie. So, we’re going to have some challenges that go along with that. But I think we’ll have a good plan for him.”

The decision means that — for now — the 24-year-old Rattler moves ahead of second-year pro Jake Haener on the depth chart.

Haener, 25, replaced Carr after his injury in Kansas City and also played late in a pair of lopsided victories to start the season. He's attempted just eight passes during his chances to play this season, completing two for 17 yards. He has not been intercepted and has not thrown for a touchdown.

Allen noted that Rattler had shown promise while serving as the scout team QB during the first five weeks of the season.

“He’s made some really good plays against our defense," Allen said. “He’s made some accurate throws and his mobility’s been good.”

Rattler, 24, was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of last spring’s NFL draft out of South Carolina, where he started for two seasons after transferring from Oklahoma.

During his final college season in 2023, he started 12 games, passing for 3,186 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Allen said Rattler should not worry about being subbed out quickly if he struggles to perform during New Orleans' first few possessions.

“You’ve got to let the guy go in there and play,” Allen said. “We’re not going into this game saying that, you know, ‘If you make a mistake, we’re going to pull you.’”

Meanwhile, Rattler's center will be newly acquired, eight-year veteran Conner McGovern, who made his debut with the club on Monday night.

He was acquired as Shane Lemieux (ankle) became the second Saints center this season to go on injured reserve, joining usual starter Erik McCoy (groin).

McGovern's first time snapping the ball to Rattler was during a light walkthrough the Saints held on Wednesday.

“He was dialed in,” McGovern said. "You could tell he was playing with a lot of confidence. His huddle presence was really professional.

“That's what I always look for in a quarterback,” McGovern added. “You need that swagger, that confidence, to play quarterback and he was playing with it today.”

The Saints (2-3), who've lost three straight, are about to play two games in the span of five days. After Sunday's matchup with the Bucs, Denver visits the following Thursday night. The compressed timeline increases the likelihood that Carr could miss more than one game.

Allen stressed that while Rattler is now preparing to start, “It’s really basically going to be kind of a week-to-week deal."

“We'll worry about this week right now and see where we're at after that,” Allen said.

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Brett Martel, The Associated Press