Well, the soft-tissue injuries keep on coming for the New Orleans Saints, with linebacker Kaden Elliss now out for Monday night's game due to a calf injury. That, combined with the fact that his fellow LB Pete Werner didn't practice all week and is now officially questionable, puts a whole lot of opportunity on the shoulders of Danny Stutsman.
Stutsman is now set to make his first career start and should have a much larger role than in his previous games. One that could get even bigger depending on Werner's game designation, the second-year linebacker has a chance to show why he's considered the future of the linebacker position in New Orleans.
A 2025 fourth-round pick, Stutsman has been able to learn from a room that used to include Demario Davis. Going from special teams at the beginning of his rookie year to actual defensive snaps by the end of it, his start on Monday feels like less of a jump and more of a natural next step. The Saints have been preparing him for this role, and it's time for him to be let loose.
Saints LB Danny Stutsman has been preparing for this moment since last season
Despite what must be a bit of a nerve-racking week, Stutsman thinks he's ready as well. “Since early last year they’ve been trying to get myself acclimated for whatever opportunity may arise, and here we are. It’s a high-stakes game, but the preparation hasn’t changed," he said to the media. "I think there’s a trust between Coach Staley and my position coach that they got me ready for a moment like this.”
Stutsman's relentless physicality and high motor make him really suited for the scheme that defensive coordinator Brandon Staley uses. He's already shown that he can use it to good effect in this kind of role as well, as he had to do something similar last week when Werner left the game and didn't return. Gathering seven tackles and 1.5 stuffs
Now Stutsman will have to try and put up a similar performance against Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons. Specifically Robinson, who's the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his 194 rushing yards and two touchdown performance in Green Bay. With a full game of snaps against him and less help available than normal, Stutsman is being thrown into the deep end for his first start.
If Stutsman performs well on Monday, it would further support the idea that he could be the Saints' future at the position. In primetime, keep an eye out for #28, because you just might be seeing him for a while.
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