Saints rookie QB Spencer Rattler starts against the Buccaneers, Derek Carr is out

It's time for Spencer Rattler to make his NFL debut.

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen announced Wednesday that Rattler will start Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET, Fox). He will start in place of starter Derek Carr, who is expected to miss several games with an oblique injury.

Carr suffered an oblique injury in the Saints' 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs early Monday night. He suffered a hard hit while attempting to throw a pass late in the fourth quarter and is now expected to miss several games. The Saints will host the Denver Broncos next Thursday night, so they're in for a quick turnaround after their NFC South matchup.

Carr was replaced Monday night by Jake Haener, who went 2 of 7 for 17 yards in the final minutes of that contest. The second-year Fresno State quarterback had attempted just one pass in his entire league career before Monday.

Instead of giving Haener another chance, the Saints will now turn to Rattler. New Orleans first selected him in the fifth round of the NFL Draft earlier this year out of South Carolina, where he transferred after starting his career at Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley. Rattler threw for a career-high 3,186 yards and 19 touchdowns with the Gamecocks last season, leading them to a 5-7 finish.

Rattler has yet to play in a game for the Saints this season, although he impressed in the preseason, posting a winning streak in a matchup against the Cardinals. He went 7 of 13 for 105 yards and also threw a touchdown in the preseason finale.

While the Saints will likely turn to Carr again once he's healthy, Rattler will get his first chance in the league on Sunday afternoon. He is now the fifth rookie quarterback in the league to start this season. After starting the season with two consecutive wins, the Saints have lost three straight. The Buccaneers, who flew to New Orleans early to avoid Hurricane Milton, are 3-2 and suffered a 36-30 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week.