After a stunner of a summer and preseason from rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, Dennis Allen and the New Orleans Saints went out of their way to prevent hype by not naming a backup quarterback.
The decision hasn’t saved starter Derek Carr from speculation aimed his way from fans and media, not after a so-so summer after his mostly so-so debut campaign with the team that resulted in a 9-8 record last year.
But in an almost desperate attempt to keep the Rattler hype at a minimum before Week 1, the Saints went out and did something silly on their first depth chart of the season.
Behind Carr on the chart, the Saints actually wrote Jake Haener OR Spencer Rattler, rather than just putting one name ahead of the other in the second slot like most normal teams.
It’s an unorthodox approach, though as Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football pointed out, it’s a continuation of Allen’s theme after roster cuts about a “competition” all season long: “They have to declare a backup quarterback on Sunday for headset purposes per league rules. The idea that the players won't know who is who isn't real. I think they just want them to both compete and keep the intensity up by not making a declaration and leaving the door open.”
The depth chart decision is, in a way, coach-speak personified on a chart. The idea might be to spur competition while both young players develop. But fans understand there’s also a measure of attempting to avoid the exploding hype of Rattler if he really is the No. 2, or a cause for concern or angst if he’s buried in third on the depth chart.
Despite the depth chart silliness, the Saints will declare a backup for Week 1 and it will get overanalyzed either way. And again, if Carr struggles, it’s not hard to figure out which quarterback on the depth chart behind him fans will be chanting for at home games.
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