Ben DiNucci back in NFL: Saints sign former Cowboys QB following injury to Derek Carr

The New Orleans Saints are adding some quarterback depth in the wake of losing starter Derek Carr. On Tuesday, the club signed veteran signal-caller Ben DiNucci, who announced the signing himself on social media. It’s unclear whether or not DiNucci is joining New Orleans’ active roster or coming aboard via the practice squad. 

Carr left Sunday’s win over the Giants due to a couple of injuries, which include a significant fracture in his non-throwing hand that is expected to sideline him for weeks, if not the rest of the season. Carr was also placed in concussion protocol. 

New Orleans has Jake Haener and rookie Spencer Rattler at quarterback behind Carr, and those two will likely battle it out for the starting job going forward with DINucci providing depth at the position. In the wake of the reports of Carr’s injury diagnosis, it was also reported that the team may not place him on injured reserve, holding out hope for a return before the end of the regular season. If the Saints go down that road, they’d be carrying four quarterbacks if DiNucci is brought onto the active roster. 

DiNucci entered the league as a seventh-round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 out of James Madison. He spent his first two years in the league in Dallas and started one game for the team during his rookie season. In his lone start in that Week 8 game against Philadelphia, the then-rookie completed 21 of his 40 passes for 180 yards and two fumbles. 

After the Cowboys waived him in the summer of 2022, he had a stint in the XFL with the Seattle Sea Dragons. There, he started 10 games and led the club to a 7-3 record while leading the league in passing. More recently, he was with the Denver Broncos practice squad throughout the 2023 season and spent last summer briefly with the Buffalo Bills during training camp.