Here's who should start if Derek Carr is out

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 incomplete fourth down and did not return to the game. He was initially diagnosed with an oblique injury.

Jake Haener finished the loss in Carr's place. Haener played one series, completing two of seven passes for 17 yards and running twice for 11 yards. Carr finished the game with 18 completions on 28 attempts for 165 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. For the Saints it was the third defeat in a row after two wins at the beginning of the year.

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

The Saints News Network staff offers our opinion on which quarterback is likely to get the nod if Carr is sidelined.

Here's what I know about Derek Carr: He'll fight to not miss any time here. The fact that he was injured and the hit wasn't even the issue is alarming, but as we wait for the MRI results and then see what happens next, it's pretty easy to see who will face the Bucs if he is not available. It's Jake Haener, and that's not really even a question here.

Haener, despite what was said, was the No. 2 guy and he was the guy who has learned this offense more and is in a better position to take over if Carr can't go. That's not a knock on Spencer Rattler, it's just that Haener is getting a lot more reps right now and understands the mechanics here pretty well and would give them the best chance to win by Sunday. I expect Rattler to be ready should something happen and not even be an emergency quarterback.

I'm curious to see how the game would develop if Haener also had problems. They would rely on the running game and Haener's mobility is a big advantage. Will he have the time to operate and make it work? We would just have to see it. I don't think we're there yet.

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

The rookie quarterback may have the complete package to handle passes and dodge opponents' passes better than Haener. Both will make mistakes, but in today's NFL, a tight pocket passer is like a sitting duck behind a porous offensive line.

However, expect Dennis Allen to make the conservative choice…Jake Haener.

Losing your starting quarterback at any time is never an ideal situation. Doing this when your team is struggling, the offensive line is decimated by injuries, and you only have inexperienced backups to rely on could be a real disaster.

Both Rattler and Haener showed solid performances in preseason and training camp. However, they also showed why they were only drafted in the middle round and that they were not yet ready for a starting role.

It's easy to fall in love with Rattler's physical tools – especially his arm. It's also a telling sign that Dennis Allen and Klint Kubiak chose Haener to replace Carr in the first five games of the year.

Haener isn't exactly brimming with experience. He hadn't even had a regular-season snapshot until the worst moment of a season-opening loss to Carolina. Based on his rookie year in the NFL, I believe Allen/Kubiak will go with Jake Haener if Carr is ever out.

Rattler may have more potential, but given the current state of the team, I believe Haener will be the pick. An equally compelling question is: Will there be any concerns about moving to Rattler if Haener struggles to get the starting job?

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