Spencer Rattler starts for the Saints: NFL debut against the Buccaneers

Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler will start for the New Orleans Saints against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Saints coach Dennis Allen announced this on Wednesday. Rattler replaced the injured Derek Carr, who suffered an abdominal muscle strain in Monday night’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Carr will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

The Saints face a challenging week with two games in five days. The duel against the Buccaneers on Sunday will be followed by a clash with the Denver Broncos on “Thursday Night Football” on October 17th. Rattler, who was selected by the Saints in the fifth round out of South Carolina, will make his NFL debut.

Rattler was previously listed as the Saints’ third quarterback behind Carr and Jake Haener and was inactive for the first five games. In the preseason he showed solid signs: He completed 20 of 38 pass attempts (52.6%) for 202 yards, threw a touchdown and had no interceptions. He ran for 26 yards in seven attempts, but lost a fumble.

Expectations are high for Rattler’s debut and fans are excited to see how he performs on the NFL floor. The party against the Buccaneers offers him the chance to prove himself and potentially take on an important role in the Saints team.