Bucs Could Face Third Rookie QB in Matchup With Saints

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be in line to face their third rookie quarterback of the season when they play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Aug 25, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) during the warmups before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off one of the more heartbreaking losses you can take at the professional football level after having multiple instances to try and ice the game away against the Atlanta Falcons, but they weren't able to do so and ultimately ended up losing their first NFC South game of the season in overtime.

We are coming up on a week since that loss and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already made their way to New Orleans to prepare for their matchup with the Saints as Hurricane Milton barrels towards the Tampa Bay area.

The Bucs will look to get things back on track after losing their hold on the division crown against the New Orleans Saints Sunday. However, the Saints team they will facing will look a bit different, as starting quarterback Derek Carr will miss the contest due to an oblique injury he suffered in the Saints' Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

With Carr exiting the Chiefs' game in the fourth quarter, 2023 fouth-round draft pick Jake Haener entered and finished the game. Now that Carr is likely to miss a few weeks the Saints could roll out Haener once again, but according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo rookie fifth-round pick out of South Carolina, Spencer Rattler, is also a "strong candidate" to fill the shoes left by Carr in his absence.

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More on the #Saints’ QB situation: Rookie fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler is a strong candidate to get the start in Derek Carr’s absence, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

With Drake Maye getting the ball for the #Patriots, that would make five rookie QBs to get a start this year. pic.twitter.com/QCk6CvxS8x

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 8, 2024

Carr has had a strong start to his season, posting 989 passing yards for eight touchdowns to just four interceptions, so whichever quarterback is called upon will have an uphill battle to replicate what Carr has been able to do this season. Both Haener and Rattler are unproven at this point of their respective careers, so it will be interesting to see what direction they will go. However, Rattler did perform well in the preseason, throwing for 202 yards and two total touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) in three preseason appearances.

Whichever quarterback starts for the Saints will have plenty of weapons at his disposal starting with running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Chris Olave. The Buccaneers will want to attack the game much as they would any other and not look past the fact that the Saints will be starting a quarterback with almost no NFL experience in an important, almost must-win, divisional game.

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