The New Orleans Saints have announced their starting quarterback for Week 16, turning to rookie Spencer Rattler instead of Jake Haener, who got the Week 15 start. The Saints are unsure of the status of Derek Carr for this and the rest of the season, and it seems that he will need more time to recover – something that’s expected given the nature of the injury.
Rattler came in for the second half of the Saints’ Week 15 game against the Washington Commanders and managed to drag the Saints back into that matchup with a strong performance.
However, despite the Saints ultimately falling short of the win, he seemed to give New Orleans a better chance of winning than Haener did.
Rattler will start Monday Night vs the Packers for the #Saints pic.twitter.com/DlRjLo5T4y
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 19, 2024
This will be Rattler’s fourth start of the season. He also started three games that Carr missed earlier in the season, so we will see how he has improved compared to his first few games.
Coach Darren Rizzi did later clarify that Rattler will only start if Carr cannot. Rattler took first-team reps in practice on Thursday so he seems likely to get the call.
Darren Rizzi clarified this saying Rattler will start if Carr cannot. Rattler took 1st team reps at practice today. https://t.co/pmIeQFCUMB
— Erin Summers (@ErinESummers) December 19, 2024
