On Saturday, the New Orleans Saints officially ruled quarterback Derek Carr out for their upcoming game against the Washington Commanders due to injury. Carr, who hurt his left hand and entered concussion protocol after a hard fall during the Saints’ 14-11 victory over the New York Giants, had already been expected to miss the game, but the team had not yet made an official announcement.
Carr will be replaced by 25-year-old Jake Haener, a second-year quarterback who has not started a game in his career. Haener has seen limited action this season, completing 48.3% of his passes for 177 yards and one touchdown. Earlier this season, Carr missed three games due to an oblique injury, and the Saints had a choice between Haener and rookie Spencer Rattler. The team chose Rattler, who struggled in his starts, going 0-3 with 571 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Like Rattler, Haener’s experience is limited, with all of his playing time coming this season in a backup role. Meanwhile, Carr has had a strong season so far, completing 67.7% of his passes for 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 10 games.
In other team news, the Saints activated defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon from the physically unable to perform list and placed linebacker D’Marco Jackson on injured reserve.
On the other side, Washington will see cornerback Marshon Lattimore make his debut for the Commanders in this game. Lattimore, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, will start against his former team after a successful rehab.