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The New Orleans Saints are set to open the 2021 NFL season with a highly anticipated Week 1 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, with or without Aaron Rodgers. A year ago, this would have been a classic battle of two future Hall of Future quarterbacks in Rodgers versus Drew Brees. The spotlight, however, remains firmly on the question marks under center for both teams in this meeting.
No opening game better allegorizes the defining theme of this offseason: quarterback controversy. Rodgers is still away from Green Bay, putting his backup Jordan Love front and center. And Brees will be replaced by either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill. It remains to be seen who will headline the opener, but the true mystery, no matter the Saints’ Week 1 starter, will be their dueling opponent.
New Orleans will be seeking vindication for their 37-30 loss to Green Bay in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome last season; the crucial tiebreaker cost the Saints a first-round bye that may have been the difference-maker in their playoff run.