New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr left the fourth quarter of his team’s 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. Carr went down hard on an incompletion on fourth down and did not return to the game. He was initially diagnosed with an oblique injury.

Jake Haener completed the loss in place of Carr. Haener played one series, completing two of seven passes for 17 yards and rushing twice for 11 yards. Carr finished the game with 18 completions in 28 attempts for 165 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. For the Saints, it was their third straight loss after two wins to start the year.

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Carr, 33, will reportedly undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of his injury. If he ever misses, the Saints have two other quarterbacks on their roster. Haener, Fresno State’s 2023 fourth-round draft pick, and Spencer Rattler, a rookie fifth-round pick from South Carolina.

The Saints News Network staff gives our thoughts on which quarterback is likely to get the nod if Carr were sidelined.

This is what I know about Derek Carr, and that is that he will fight not to miss any time here. The fact that he got hurt and the hit wasn’t even the issue is alarming, but while we wait for the MRI results and then see how things go, it’s pretty easy to see who starts against the Bucs if he is not available. It’s Jake Haener, and it’s not even a question here.

Haener is the No. 2 despite what has been said and he is the guy who has learned more about this offense and is in a better position to take over if Carr can’t go. That’s not a setback for Spencer Rattler, it’s just that Haener is getting a lot more reps now and has a pretty good understanding of the operation here and would give them the best chance to win on Sunday. I expect Rattler to be ready if something were to happen and not even be an emergency quarterback.

I’m fascinated to see how the game would unfold if Haener were to wrestle as well. They rely on the run game and Haener’s mobility is a big advantage. Will he get the time to operate and make it work? We just have to see. I don’t think we’re there yet.

Who should the New Orleans Saints turn to if Derek Carr is sidelined for an extended period of time? Spencer Rattler should be the choice.

The starting quarterback may have the complete package to handle passing and evading an opponent’s pass rush better than Haener. Both will make mistakes, but in today’s NFL a strict pocket passer is like a sitting duck behind a porous offensive line.

That said, expect Dennis Allen to go with the conservative choice…Jake Haener.

It’s never an ideal situation to lose your starting quarterback at any point. Doing this when your team is struggling, the offensive line is decimated by injuries, and you only have inexperienced backups to fall back on can be a complete disaster.

Rattler and Haener were both solid during preseason and training camp. However, they each also showed why they were only called up in the mid-rounds and were not yet ready for a starting role.

It’s easy to fall in love with Rattler’s physical tools, especially that arm. It’s also a telling sign that Dennis Allen and Klint Kubiak went with Haener as Carr’s backup for the first five games of the year.

Haener does not exactly exude experience. He hadn’t even had a regular season snap until the time of the season opener at Carolina. Due to his one year in the NFL as a rookie, I believe Allen/Kubiak will go with Jake Haener if Carr ever misses.

Rattler may have more upside, but given the current state of the team, I think Haener will be the pick. An equally compelling question is: Will there be any hesitation in going to Rattler if Haener struggles if he gets the start?

Once he’s healthy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Taysom Hill get a few packages at quarterback. The Saints will host the 3-2 NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.