Saints quarterback depth chart: Who is Derek Carr’s backup?

Derek Carr left the Saints’ Monday Night Football matchup against the Chiefs with an oblique injury and never returned.

Carr was knocked down on an all-out blitz on fourth down and immediately grabbed his side. He was quickly deemed questionable to return but with the Saints trailing 23-13, Carr decided to head to the locker room for further evaluation.

While the injury details have not been released, Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Carr would undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

It would be a major hit to the Saint’s offense if Derek Carr were to miss some time but who would take his place? Let’s take a look at the Saints QB depth chart.

Jake Haener is first line of defense for the Saints

2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener is currently QB2 on the Saints’ depth chart.

Haener initially committed to the Washington Huskies before transferring to Fresno State. He played in only four games at Washington and completed four passes for 107 yard and one touchdown. Haener transferred to Fresno State in 2019 and threw for 9,013 yards, 67 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions with the Bulldogs.

After being suspended for the first six weeks of his rookie year for a failed drug test— testing positive for a banned performance enhancing substance— he spent the rest of the season as the third string QB behind Carr and Jameis Winston.

If Carr misses any time, Haener looks to be the guy for New Orleans. He has a lot of good reps in college but still remains unproven in the NFL. It’s a wonder whether the Saints would stick with him or go after a veteran in Carr’s absence.

Spencer Rattler has promise for the Saints if called upon

The Saints drafted former Oklahoma and South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler in the fifth-round of the 2024 NFL Draft (150th overall).

Once considered a first-round pick while at Oklahoma, Rattler’s draft stock fell and he transferred to South Carolina for his final two seasons in college.

At Oklahoma he threw for 4,595 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions and at South Carolina he had 6,212 yards, 67.5 percent completion percentage, 37 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.

While Rattler showed some good promise in the preseason, he needs more time to develop as NFL QB. 

Saints likely won't start Taysom Hill even if healthy

Taysom Hill suffered a rib injury in Week 5 against in a 24-26 loss to the Falcons and missed Week 6 against the Chiefs. While technically not listed as a QB, Hill has plenty of reps at the role with the Saints at QB, tight end, wide receiver, and even running back. If he were to become healthy while Carr was absent, he would likely be the number one guy for the Saints considering his skills and experience.

Hill has 2,348 yards and 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions at QB for the Saints. He also has rushed for 2,236 yards and 29 touchdowns while catching 78 receptions for 758 yards and 11 touchdowns.