Former South Carolina quarterback gets first NFL start of career

A former Gamecock will get his first start in his young NFL career this week due to an injury to starting quarterback Derek Carr. The New Orleans Saints faced the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5 of the NFL season, and about midway through the fourth quarter, Carr took a hit and landed awkwardly on the ground and ended up going into the medical tent and then into the locker room.

It didn't take long for the medical team to rule Carr out for the rest of the game. In the Saints' final drive of the game, they chose to put Jake Haener into the game, especially with normal backup quarterback Taysom Hill out with fractured ribs.

After tests on Monday nights, and more testing on Tuesday, it was determined that Carr suffered an oblique injury and it looks like he will be out for several weeks.

The Saints could have gone with Haener at quarterback, but instead, they recently named former South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler, whom the Saints drafted with the 150th pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. This will be Rattler's first NFL action this season, as he will be starting against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week.

Rattler finished his Gamecock career fifth all-time in passing yards with 6,212 yards at South Carolina. Rattler spent his first three seasons with Oklahoma before being benched for Caleb Williams with the Sooners. However, Rattler had two of his best seasons at South Carolina with two seasons of over 3,000 yards and 18 and 19 touchdown passes.

Rattler has shown that he can throw the ball well and with a higher level of NFL talent around him, he will have a good chance of a good outing with the Saints this week. When asked about star receiver Chris Olave on the team, Rattler said he knows that when Olave is on the field, he needs to do his best to get the ball to him.

The Saints also have star running back Alvin Kamara, who can take the lion's share of the load off of Rattler's shoulders if need be. Rattler will face a tough Tampa Bay front four, however, with the defensive line being one of the best in football. He will need to be light on his feet with the ability to evade pressure and keeps the Saints in the game.

This is a big game for the Saints as they are currently on a three-game losing streak, and a win over the Bucs would be big in their quest for the division. South Carolina fans can watch their former quarterback leading the Saints on Sunday, October 13 at 1:00 p.m. EST.