Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints are going to need a huge showing in the Week 1 season opener against the Carolina Panthers to quiet some of the Spencer Rattler hype.
Make no mistake, it’s a good problem to have that the Saints suddenly boast a rookie quarterback receiving so much hype from fans after a big preseason—to the point the Saints got a little weird on the first depth chart of the season.
But a problem is still a problem, right?
The latest bit of Rattler hype comes from The Athletic’s Dianna Rusinni, who told former New Orleans Saints quarterback Chase Daniel on “Scoop City” that “we need to keep an eye on this one” because around the team, “vibes are really, really high.”
Before this, there haven’t really been any national reporters suggesting an outright quarterback controversy could happen in New Orleans, yet this one stems from texts that come from inside the Saints’ building.
Again, Rusinni stresses that there’s no controversy yet. But as we’ve written in the past, that could change in a hurry if the Saints collapse and match some of those regression projections.
If the team struggles and the front office starts thinking about life after head coach Dennis Allen as a result—while eyeballing that costly Carr contract and a shaky cap situation—Rattler could very well get his chance by late in the season, if not midseason near that Week 12 bye.
The only thing that will stop fans from beginning to call for a hyped rookie passer, as mentioned above, is a strong start to the season that silences doubts—which means looking good in a pair of divisional games and against Dallas and Philadelphia over the first month, before kicking off October with a visit to Kansas City against the Chiefs.
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