With Derek Carr sidelined, Jake Haener starting makes the most sense for the Saints
In Week 14, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr fractured his left hand. While that is his non-throwing hand, it’ll still be hard for a quarterback to play with a broken, non-dominant hand. That’s why NFL insiders are reporting the injury as likely season ending, because with four games left in the regular season, Carr is unlikely to make it back in time.
However, since the injury doesn’t require surgery, interim head coach Darren Rizzi characterized Carr as week-to-week, and the team is opting not to put him on injured reserve, in the event he can return.
While the team waits to see how quickly Carr can heal, they have to pick a starting quarterback while he’s out. When Carr missed Weeks 6-8 with an oblique injury, Spencer Rattler got the nod. On Monday, however, Rizzi made it clear that Dennis Allen and the offensive staff made that decision last time, and that the current staff will meet to make their own decision this time.
Darren Rizzi said they'll have to make a decision today about whether Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener will start in the event that Derek Carr does not play. He that person will get the majority of the reps this week. They'll meet on that this afternoon.
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) December 9, 2024
While Rattler remains an intriguing option for New Orleans, it would make the most sense for Jake Haener to start for the rest of the season.
Saints should start Jake Haener over Spencer Rattler
Rattler started the first three games Carr missed this season, and he had the typical roller coaster experience of a talented rookie— some highs, and some lows. In the three games, Rattler completed 59.6% of his passes for 571 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He also ran he ball nine times for 61 yards, but was sacked 14 times and fumbled three times.
While the Saints didn’t win any of those games, Rattler had flashes that excited fans. Because of that, no one would complain if he started the remaining games. However, New Orleans has already got somewhat of an extended look at Rattler; for that reason, it makes sense to start Jake Haener and get a look at him in multiple real games.
While this is his second season, Haener has only attempted 29 passes in his career, completing 14 of them for 177 yards and a touchdown. It’s unclear what the future looks like in New Orleans at the quarterback position, so why not get a few games of film on both of the team’s young quarterbacks.
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