Saints’ approach to rebuilding the quarterback room could backfire once the season arrives
The quarterback room for the New Orleans Saints has undergone significant change this offseason. Jameis Winston, after four seasons with the team, left in free agency, joining the Cleveland Browns. In need of a backup quarterback, the Saints turned to the free agent market, signing Nathan Peterman and Kellen Mond. With Jake Haener also still on the roster, the expectation is that the three of them will compete for the QB2 spot.
There’s one problem though: none or those guys have the kind of status that would comfort fans if Derek Carr ever goes down. Obviously, there’s going to be a drop off from the starting quarterback to the backup quarterback. However, the expectation for most backups is that they can keep the team afloat, giving them a chance to at least be competitive in games. There’s no reason to believe that New Orleans has that kind of backup in the quarterback room.
The #Saints have assembled a quarterback room that is the least threatening to Derek Carr. Why would a team who has dealt with injuries at the Quarterback position since 2020 not go after a solid veteran backup quarterback that has won games in this league?
— TJAY Jones (@tjayjones8) April 16, 2024
Saints haven’t provided competent insurance for Derek Carr
Nathan Peterman is one of the most infamous backups in the NFL. Anytime a backup quarterback is well known, it’s either really good or really bad. Peterman is known for all the wrong reasons. In six years in the league, Peterman has appeared in 15 games, starting five. In those 15 games, he completed 53.1% of his passes for 712 yards, four touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. In his starts, teams are 1-4. Simply put, if Peterman ever has to enter a game for the Saints, things aren’t looking good.
Kellen Mond, on the other hand, doesn’t have the kind of negative reputation that Peterman has. He unfortunately has no reputation at all. Drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Mond is now with his fourth team as he prepares for his fourth season in the league. Through those four years, he has appeared in just one regular season game. That was his rookie year in Minnesota, when he completed two-of-three passes for five yards.
Still, even he has more experience than Jake Haener, who spent six weeks of his rookie season last year suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. Haener’s NFL ability is currently as unknown and unknown gets. If there’s ever a chance for him to carve at a role for himself, this would be the year. If he can’t prove to be a suitable backup, the Saints will be in a lot of trouble.
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