Injury Concern for Falcons Rival as Saints Turn to Backup QB

The Atlanta Falcons' rival and NFC South foe, the New Orleans Saints, may turn to rookie Spencer Rattler in place of injured starting quarterback Derek Carr.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) may replace injured starter Derek Carr (4) for multiple weeks. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' biggest rivals, the New Orleans Saints, have suffered quarterback misfortune.

Saints signal caller Derek Carr is expected to miss multiple games due to an oblique injury suffered in Monday night's 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, according to NFL Network.

New Orleans plays two games in the next days, starting Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before facing the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football.

As such, the Saints' immediate future under center is uncertain -- but the answer may come from the 2024 draft class.

New Orleans is considering handing over the reins of the offense to fifth-round rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, who is a "strong candidate" to start in Carr's absence, according to NFL Network.

Following the injury to Carr, the Saints turned to second-year backup Jake Haener, a fourth-round pick out of Fresno State University in 2023. Haener went just 2-of-7 for 17 yards in relief of Carr, which was his first extended action as a professional.

During the preseason, Haener played in three games with one start. He completed 24-of-43 passes for 270 yards and failed to find the endzone.

Rattler, who played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma before transferring to the University of South Carolina for his final two seasons, performed similar to Haener in the exhibition slate.

The 24-year-old Rattler went 20-of-38 for 202 yards and a touchdown in three games with no starts.

Atlanta expressed interest in Rattler during the pre-draft process, sending a large contingency to his pro day before ultimately opting for University of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall.

Now, Rattler may debut before Penix, who's the Falcons' backup and quarterback-in-waiting behind Kirk Cousins.

Atlanta beat New Orleans on Sept. 28, taking a 26-24 triumph inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The two sides meet again Nov. 10 in New Orleans -- with Carr expected to be back in the fold.