3 emergency trades the Saints must make to replace Spencer Rattler

The New Orleans Saints lost their fifth straight game to drop to 2-5 on the season with a 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos Thursday night. It was their second game without starting quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) and with rookie Spencer Rattler starting under center.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported there's a chance Carr will return to practice next week, but "a lot would have to happen" for him to play in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

After the loss to Denver, head coach Dennis Allen echoed the unlikelihood that Carr plays in Week 8.

While Rattler can benefit from playing, with injuries all over he's also not in a situation where he's likely to have a lot of success. There's a case for the Saints to look toward the future and be a clear trade deadline seller, but by the same token they shouldn't wreck Rattler's potential prospects as their quarterback of the future.

Allen also said Rattler suffered a hip pointer. leading to Jake Haener finishing the game. Haener also seems to be a candidate to start after throwing a touchdown pass late in Thursday night's game.

“That was good to see,” Allen said, regarding Haener’s play at the end of the game. “We’ll evaluate the tape, we’ll look at it and see what we need to do, and we’ll have a plan moving forward.”

So in theory, there are four different possibilities for who the Saints' starting quarterback will be in their next game.

With Carr's status unclear, and Rattler and Taysom Hill banged up, the Saints could look to trade for an experienced quarterback to try to keep things afloat. It may not make sense from a broad view, but with job statuses at stake trying to win while Carr remains out could be on the docket.

With that in mind, and very dependent on how quickly Carr could return, here are some quarterback trade targets who could be on the Saints' radar as they try to rescue a season that has turned ugly.

3. Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers

The brief sugar-high Dalton provided for the Panthers is over. At 1-5 they are headed for another top-five pick in the draft, and they should want to get a definitive answer on Bryce Young before the season is over. While the narrative seems clear (Young is a bust, or he needs a change of scenery), the Panthers have nothing to lose by going back to him at some point-ideally sooner rather than later.

Dalton, if nothing else, is a possible tradeable asset for the Panthers if there's a suitor out there between now and the Nov. 5 deadline. He also started 14 games for the Saints in 2022,
so there is a bit of familiarity even though there's a different offensive system in place now, He can provide competent play, and he has more experience than any other Saints' signal caller besides Carr.

2. Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders

Minshew's status as the Raiders' starting quarterback was always tenuous, and he was benched for Aidan O'Connell after Week 5. It seems like a lock Las Vegas will be drafting a quarterback highly in April, but they may (should?) want to see what O'Connell can do from here on out. Barring injury, Minshew will probably stay on the bench.

If Carr is going to be out a while longer and the Saints are going to lose games anyway, Minshew can at least make it look interesting in a Ryan Fitzpatrick-like fashion, with no long-term commitment or consequences. The Raiders have no further use for him at this point, and as they shift to sell-mode other teams should have interest.

1. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers

Russell Wilson is lined up to make his Steelers' debut this weekend against the New York Jets, as Fields will be benched despite a 4-2 record as the starter. As long as Wilson stays healthy, the move feels like it'll be permanent for the rest of the season.

The implications of the Steelers' trade with the Bears to get Fields is also worth noting. A 2025 sixth-round pick going to Chicago becomes a fourth-rounder if Fields plays more than 50 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps this season. Some may push that off as a reason for the move to Wilson, but it doesn't feel like a complete coincidence.

In a different direction, if things go that way for the Steelers and the Saints know Carr will be out for a good while longer, Wilson could also be a trade target for New Orleans under the idea of trying to win games. But Fields is younger and more interesting, so he gets the clear nod here.