Saints add a veteran quarterback to the roster following Derek Carr’s injury
With four weeks left in the regular season, the New Orleans Saints have decided to add to their roster. Following the left-hand injury to starting quarterback Derek Carr, the Saints are signing Ben DiNucci. The veteran quarterback announced the news himself on social media.
DiNucci was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2020 Draft, and ended up playing in three games for them, starting one, during his rookie season. In those games, he completed 23-of-43 passes for 219 yards. However, he hasn’t taken a regular season snap in the league since then.
After spending two years in Dallas, DiNucci played for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL, then spent a year on the practice squad of the Denver Broncos. He was with the Buffalo Bills earlier this season during training camp, but was waived before the start of the season. Now, he’ll likely finish the year in New Orleans.
Saints sign quarterback Ben DiNucci
DiNucci is unlikely to see any playing time with the Saints, barring injuries. His signing is most likely for depth and practice purposes. While the team considers Carr week-to-week, the expectation is that he won’t make it back during the regular season. This move to bring in DiNucci is a sign that New Orleans knows Carr’s status is more severe than week-to-week.
Still, the team hasn’t placed Carr on injured reserve, just in case he can heal up in time for one of the final four games. If he is indeed out for the rest of the season, that means Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler are both bumped up the depth chart.
The Saints haven’t announced a starter yet, but one will start and the other will serve as the backup quarterback. DiNucci, on the other hand, will be the emergency third quarterback, scout team QB, while Haener and Rattler are competing for QB1 reps.