Saints Rumors: Jake Haener to Be QB1 over Rattler vs. Commanders amid Carr Injury

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi named Jake Haener as the team's starting quarterback against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

With Derek Carr expected to miss multiple weeks due to a hand fracture, Haener is slated to start the first game of his career.

Rizzi confirmed that Haener and fellow backup Spencer Rattler were competing for the first-string job throughout the week, but the Saints will now turn to their third starting quarterback in 2024 (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).

Rattler previously started three games earlier in the season while Carr dealt with an oblique injury, but the results were far from encouraging.

The rookie signal-caller completed 59.6 percent of his throws for 571 yards and one touchdown to go along with two interceptions. New Orleans lost all three contests, getting outscored 110-45.

Even though Rattler earned a starting role before Haener, he's operated as the Saints' emergency third quarterback while his teammate sat at No. 2 on the depth chart throughout the season.

Haener, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, has played sparingly in seven games during his 2024 campaign. He's completed 48.3 percent of his passes for 177 yards and a touchdown without getting picked off.

The Saints still sit at just 5-8 on the season as a whole, but they've won three of their past four games since the team fired head coach Dennis Allen and replaced him with Rizzi.

While Rattler may remain on the sidelines moving forward, it isn't uncommon for a fifth-round rookie to struggle at adjusting to the NFL level right away. With Haener's limited playing time, New Orleans' coaching staff may want to get an extended look at him before evaluating the position entering the offseason.

Haener could be in for a challenge on Sunday. The Commanders' defense has struggled a various points throughout the year, but they still own the NFL's fifth-best pass defense.

Kickoff between New Orleans and Washington is at 1 p.m. ET.