Tag: backup

Spencer Rattler won’t be the Saints’ QB2 in Week 9 vs. Panthers

With Derek Carr returning this week, Jake Haener will be the backup quarterback. Spencer Rattler will go back to being the emergency QB3:

The New Orleans Saints are going back to the way things were as they prepare for the Week 9 showdown against the Carolina Panthers. After getting a slew of players returning from injury a week ago, they’ll get another major piece back on offense.

Derek Carr will return from an oblique injury and take his role as the starting quarterback, and it will cause the rotation to shift again. Dennis Allen announced Jake Haener will be Carr’s backup and Spencer Rattler will be the emergency third quarterback. This is a return to how things were prior to Carr’s injury.

Haener’s role has remained constant throughout the entire season. Whether Carr or Rattler was the starter, Haener was always the number two. There was a question of why Haener either didn’t start or why isn’t Rattler now the backup. Allen declined to share insight on the thought process.

Rattler was benched for Haener in his final start. That could have been the reasoning for the decision. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Haener get the start if Carr has to miss another game this year.

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BREAKING: Wisconsin starting QB Tyler Van Dyke injures knee vs. Alabama, carted to locker room

Wisconsin starting QB Tyler Van Dyke injures knee vs. Alabama, leaves game

Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke injured his knee during the Badgers’ first offensive drive against No. 4 Alabama on Saturday.

Those in attendance immediately noted that the veteran quarterback was “not putting any weight on his right leg.” He entered the medical tent, then was quickly carted into the locker room.

Related: Wisconsin leaves two key players off pregame injury report vs. Alabama

The injury occurred as Van Dyke scrambled right on a 3rd-and-7 sequence. He was tackled hard out of bounds, though he appeared to injure his right knee before hitting the ground.

Backup quarterback redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke entered the game in Van Dyke’s absence. Wisconsin went on to kick a field goal on the drive to take an early 3-0 lead.

UPDATE: Fox sideline reporter Jenny Taft confirmed that it was Van Dyke’s right knee. He was carted to the locker room for further imaging and evaluation.

UPDATE: Van Dyke was officially ruled out for the rest of the game.

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Saints make their choice at backup quarterback, with Spencer Rattler at QB3

The Saints have made their decision at backup quarterback, moving Spencer Rattler to the QB3 spot and Jake Haener to QB2:

The New Orleans Saints had a litany of position battles throughout the offseason, the majority of which were clearly resolved prior to Week 1’s kickoff against the Carolina Panthers.

One such battle had not been solved, however, that being the backup quarterback. It was still listed as “or” on the depth chart between Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler. Ultimately, the choice was made pregame, with Haener taking the number two spot and Rattler initially being inactive. He’ll still dress out in his uniform as the emergency third quarterback.

Rattler being the emergency QB means he will have to be part of the 53-man roster come gamedays (which was the expectation regardless). Dennis Allen has said the position will remain fluid this season, and the two split practice reps throughout the week. This decision comes as somewhat of a surprise as many fans believed Rattler outperformed Haener over the summer. However, Haener does have an extra season’s worth of practice reps on the team so that could have played into the decision.

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Spencer Rattler vs. Jake Haener decision can’t stay a secret for long

The Saints are keeping their decision at backup quarterback close to the vest. But they’ll have to tip their hand on Sunday:

The New Orleans Saints have a backup quarterback controversy — so to speak. Derek Carr is the clear-cut starter, and it’s between rookie Spencer Rattler and second-year player Jake Haener to back him up. The Saints have continued to keep their decision at backup quarterback private, but they’ll have to tip their hand on Sunday.

While the two very well could be close in the race for backup quarterback, it’s unlikely they’re completely even. Someone has the lead, and it will be revealed in this week’s season-opener with the Carolina Panthers. NFL rules require the team to declare a backup and determine who gets a radio headset. On top of that, the third quarterback must be identified so he can be active without counting against the gameday roster limit.

Dennis Allen has deemed the competition ongoing. Rattler and Haener were designated with the dreaded “or” on the unofficial depth chart. This only furthers the notion the Saints are undecided at that position. Whether it’s true indecision or another example of the Saints keeping information close to the vest, a choice needs to be made, if it hasn’t happened already.

Carr will suit up as the starting quarterback, but who will be his backup? If this was a few years ago, the Saints could have dressed both quarterbacks. Now, one will dress, and one will be an emergency quarterback.

Whether Rattler or Haener is behind Carr on Sunday will give us a little insight. There are other factors that go into that decision of who would start in case of an injury to Carr.

By the way Allen is talking, however, the quarterback who stands next to Carr will be the only indication we’ll get on who’s winning the battle between Rattler and Haener, at least for now. This subplot is far from over.

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Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener still competing for backup role

All eyes were on Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler through Saints training camp and preseason. According to Dennis Allen, the battle is not over yet:

The biggest battle of New Orleans Saints training camp is extending into the regular season. Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler were battling for who will be the backup quarterback behind Derek Carr all throughout training camp and the preseason.

Through three games, each player had their ups and downs. It was a consistently close battle that Dennis Allen says still isn’t over. He surprisingly chose not to say who won this battle.

This competition going into the regular season isn’t a huge surprise, though. Of all the battles in training camp, this was the one with the least amount of urgency. This is a battle for the 2024 backup and, most importantly, for the lead in the race to be the heir apparent.

This is why Allen is comfortable getting both reps and focusing on development. That being said, it will be interesting come Week 1 who suits up. Allen can choose to not make a declaration now, but it will be revealed very soon.

The Saints aren’t keeping three quarterbacks active on a weekly basis. Either Haener or Rattler will be active and the other will be the Saints’ emergency quarterback. The player who is active should be looked at as the leader in the competition, but it’s too soon to say who that will be.

The beginning of the regular season will force New Orleans to slightly tip their hand. Haener vs. Rattler may not be concluded, but someone is in the lead.

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Broncos QB battle: Bo Nix looks likely to be starter

#Broncos QB Battle is wrapping up with Bo Nix looking to be certain starter, competition now for the secondary slot

Although the Denver Broncos picked up additional quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson as a contingency plan in case 2024 draft pick Bo Nix didn’t gel with the offense, things are looking good for Nix after his start versus the Packers in a 27-2 preseason victory.

Head coach Sean Payton praised Nix following the game but maintains he isn’t ready to drop the name of the starter for his fresh offense. Nix is the clear choice, the rookie from Oregon is outperforming Stidham and Wilson who both have already been in the NFL for multiple seasons.

After this second outing, it seems the question that remains is which QB will end up as backup to Nix, Jarrett Stidham or Zach Wilson? Stidham was backup last season and got called up to start briefly after Russell Wilson was benched.

Zach Wilson is hoping to recover from a tough start to his career. He was brought in to be fresh blood and has delivered a touchdown in the preseason which Stidham hasn’t done, however, his completion percentage hasn’t been stellar in his snaps for the Broncos.

Payton may have a harder time choosing his secondary than he will his starter, this coming game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday will wrap up the preseason and seal the fate of hopeful backups.

Spencer Rattler, not Jake Haener, will take the field as Saints’ QB2 vs. 49ers

Spencer Rattler, not Jake Haener, will take the field as the New Orleans Saints’ backup quarterback against the San Francisco 49ers:

It’ll be Spencer Rattler, not Jake Haener, taking the field as the New Orleans Saints’ backup quarterback on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Rattler was seen warming up with the second-team offense and will take over for Carr once the starters call it a night.

This was expected, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. The rookie led a game-winning drive in last week’s preseason action and now he gets an opportunity to show what he can do with the second-string offense instead of the third-stringers.

Let’s see how he performs against one of the league’s better teams, even if he’s running against other backups. Rattler has been pushing Haener for thee backup job all summer and a big day at Levi’s Stadium could help his case  to back up Carr this year.

Haener has been ahead throughout training camp but Rattler’s natural arm talent and polished mechanics have cut into the second-year pro’s lead. If Rattler can improve on his decision-making and work out some bad habits like dropping back too far under pressure, the sky is the limit for him.

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Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener should switch roles vs. 49ers

The New Orleans Saints backup QB battle continues vs. the 49ers. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener should be in line for a role-reversal:

Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener are embroiled in the New Orleans Saints’ most compelling training camp battle. The battle is the epitome of iron sharpening iron, and it heats up the closer we get to the regular season.

Backup quarterback battles don’t typically see as much attention, but the Saints are a special case. Derek Carr is the starting quarterback, but the battle feels like more than just being the backup. The feeling is Haener and Rattler are fighting to be the top choice for the heir apparent.

As quarterbacks, there can only be one on the field at a time. Last week, Haener entered the game immediately after Carr then Rattler handled the entire second half. The exact time on the field will be impacted by the first team’s usage, but in general, Rattler and Haener should switch roles against the 49ers.

This is typically the case in quarterback battles, so if it doesn’t happen, it should be taken as a sign Haener has the edge over Rattler.

The thought process is allow Rattler and Haener showcase their abilities with the same supporting cast. The only way for that to be possible is for them to alternate in the pecking order. Can Haener elevate the third-string offennse? Can Rattler make more plays on  the second team? It’s worth trying them out to see. Next week will be the final part of the evaluation. Who’s starting between the two young quarterbacks will be telling.

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Former Saints backup QB Nathan Peterman re-signs with Las Vegas Raiders

Former Saints backup quarterback Nathan Peterman re-signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with one of his old coaches:

Nathan Peterman is going back to the Las Vegas Raiders. The former New Orleans Saints backup landed on his feet by re-signing with one of his old teams, reuniting with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy — who coached him on the Chicago Bears last year. Peterman was pushed to the bottom of the Saints depth chart when Spencer Rattler fell to them in April’s NFL draft.

The Raiders must have wanted another arm for the rest of their preseason with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell still on top of the depth chart, though rookie quarterbacks Anthony Brown Jr. and Carter Bradley are still on the roster.

Good luck to him. Peterman only appeared in two games with the Raiders as Derek Carr’s backup from 2020 to 2021, completed 3 of 5 passes for a gain of 25 yards. He’s totaled 13 interceptions against just 4 touchdown passes on 160 career attempts in 15 games with three different teams. We’ll have to wait and see if he’s still wearing silver and black when the Saints host Las Vegas at the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 29.

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Saints waive backup quarterback Kellen Mond before rookie minicamp

The Saints waived backup quarterback Kellen Mond before rookie minicamp. Change was inevitable after the team drafted Spencer Rattler:

And then there were four. ESPN’s Field Yates first reported that the New Orleans Saints have waived backup quarterback Kellen Mond, just a few days before the start of rookie minicamp. The Saints were overcrowded at quarterback between Derek Carr, Jake Haener, Nathan Peterman, Mond, and this year’s fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler. Someone was going to go.

As we expected, Mond was the first to go. He was also the latest to sign, having arrived in New Orleans just before the 2024 NFL draft (and a month after Peterman). So Peterman will have to make his case for a spot on the Saints practice squad at training camp this summer while Haener and Rattler compete for the backup job behind Carr.

Something else to note: Mond leaving frees up the No. 2 jersey, which could be highly coveted. Both wide receiver Chris Olave and cornerback Alontae Taylor have hinted at switching to it on social media this offseason. If Taylor wants to pick it up that would open the No. 1 jersey for his rookie teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry. Fans may want to see Olave in his college number, but buying out unsold stock in his No. 12 jerseys might be cost-prohibitive. Stay tuned.

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