The New Orleans Saints didn’t have a choice but to end some of the Spencer Rattler drama behind Derek Carr before the Week 1 kickoff against the Carolina Panthers.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen attempted to keep a lid on the Rattler hype train by using the rare “or” word on the team’s official depth chart when listing the rookie or Jake Haener as the primary backup.
But while Allen and Co. wanted to keep the “competition” theme going for the two developmental players, NFL rules and roster constraints meant that the Saints actually had to declare an official backup who would don the headset on the sideline against the Panthers.
And that man was Haener, with Rattler being one of the team's inactives.
We’ll have to see if the Saints juggle that duty between the two on a weekly basis, should Carr remain effective and healthy. But this was going to make a splash with fans no matter which guy they chose for the season opener, sending things in either direction.
The fact that it’s Haener might end up being more controversial than if it were the other way around to start the season. Rattler, at least for Week 1, is the emergency third quarterback.
While that’s one hurdle cleared in this saga that has NFL experts saying that fans should keep a very close eye on it, the microscope will also continue to hover over Carr’s performance, too.
MORE SAINTS NEWS
Tyrann Mathieu says new vibe for Saints is because Dennis Allen is 'tired of getting pushed around'
New Orleans Saints rookie changes jersey number right before Week 1
Detroit Lions player reveals he was almost traded to New Orleans Saints at final cuts
New Orleans Saints named possible landing spot for big-name QB in free agency
