No, the Saints did not violate the emergency rule

When Saints quarterback Derek Carr suffered a shoulder injury Sunday in Green Bay, Jameis Winston took over.

Some wondered why and how Winston was able to do this, given that the Saints changed hands just before the start of the regular season, switching Taysom Hill’s title from tight end to quarterback. The perception created by the Saints was that Carr would be QB1, Hill would be QB2, and Winston would be the third emergency quarterback.

It has led some to point out that the Saints violated the emergency quarterback rule by using Winston after Carr was injured but Hill was still available.

The truth is much less gruesome. The Saints did not use the emergency quarterback rule. Instead, they gave Carr, Hill and Winston spots on the active roster for game day. Thus, Winston was free to play at any time, regardless of whether Carr or Hill was playing.

This weekend, if Carr’s shoulder injury prevents him from playing against the Buccaneers, it will be interesting to see if newly signed backup Jake Luton will be on the active roster, or if he will receive the emergency starting quarterback designation.

When this happens, the emergency quarterback appears on the inactive list, but is referred to as an emergency quarterback. Once again, the Saints did not use this device in any of their first three games. Carr, Hill and Winston were free to play at any time and in any position.