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Nick Underhill reports that the Saints are starting fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler at quarterback for their Week 6 game against the Buccaneers.
The Saints have already confirmed the news:
Dennis Allen announced that Spencer Rattler will start Sunday vs the Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/7oTpF3KPJK
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 9, 2024
Derek Carr is expected to miss at least a few weeks with an oblique injury and while the team went with Jake Haener in relief of Carr last week, recent reports indicated that Rattler could be elevated to starter this week.
Rattler, 23, started one year at Oklahoma and was the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy entering his second when he was benched for Caleb Williams. He transferred to South Carolina and started his remaining two years.
The Saints drafted Rattler with the No. 150 overall pick in the fifth round.
During his five-year college career, Rattler completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts for 10.807 yards, 77 touchdowns and 32 interceptions, adding 410 rushing yards and 16 additional touchdowns in 48 games.
More must-reads:
- Browns' stance on Shedeur Sanders makes sense, but it exposes their limited options
- Frank Ragnow update fits troubling 2025 Lions pattern
- The 'Five game-winning-drives in a season' quiz
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Packers announce head-turning roster move one day after 2025 Lions sweep
Fresh off a Thanksgiving win on Thursday against the Detroit Lions on the road at Ford Field in Detroit, the Green Bay Packers made a notable move to reunite with kicker Lucas Havrisik. Green Bay parted ways with Havrisik just before the Lions game, but on Friday, the team announced that he’s back in the fold after getting signed to the practice squad roster. Via Green Bay’s official website: “The Green Bay Packers signed K Lucas Havrisik (HAVE-ruh-sick) to the practice squad. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Friday.” Lucas Havrisik insurance for now for the Packers It can be recalled that Havrisik saw action in three games in the 2025 NFL season for Green Bay in place of the then-injured Brandon McManus. In those games, the former Arizona Wildcats kicker went 4-for-4 on his field goals, including a franchise record-setting 61-yard make in Week 7’s 27-23 win in Glendale over the Arizona Cardinals. He was also 7-for-9 on extra-point attempts, with both misses happening in Week 11’s 27-20 victory against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. McManus is healthy and perfect in the two games since he returned to action, so there is no reason for the Packers to give his spot to someone else so Havrisik will just be insurance for now for Green Bay, which has a Week 14 date with the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
Connor McDavid made an egregious mistake with Oilers
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid struggled to find the words to describe the team’s 8-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. The decision dropped the Oilers’ record to 10-10-5 for the season, and McDavid looked defeated during his postgame interview. The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Oilers. Why did Connor McDavid stay? The Oilers are grappling with the same issues that have plagued them since McDavid joined the NHL in the fall of 2015. Edmonton’s secondary offensive support for McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is minimal, and their goaltending remains a significant concern. Considering the Oilers have faced these problems for so long, it makes one wonder why a generational talent like McDavid chose to sign on for two more years of this, especially given the bargain he struck when he signed for just $12.5M a season. McDavid’s choice to sign with Edmonton before even considering free agency might become one of the biggest “what-ifs” in NHL history. However, McDavid opted for stability in a familiar market, with a team that has been competitive for most of his NHL career. Ultimately, McDavid decided to stay loyal to the Oilers, but the two-year term seemed like a warning shot to Edmonton. So far, that warning appears to have fallen on deaf ears. The timing of McDavid’s extension was quite unusual. The superstar had a clear route to unrestricted free agency, which could have been one of the most incredible stories in NHL history if it had come to pass. McDavid had the chance to be the highest-profile player in NHL history to reach free agency since Wayne Gretzky in 1996. He held leverage against the Oilers and could have waited out the season, sparking a bidding war for his services. This would have boosted his star power and changed what a superstar’s career could look like. Instead, McDavid chose familiarity, even though the timing of his decision wasn’t convenient. Connor McDavid's decision to re-sign could be costly McDavid’s signing has delayed his free agency by 24 months, and some people dismiss this decision by arguing that McDavid will still get paid and reach free agency after the salary cap has significantly increased. While both points have some truth, the counterargument is compelling. Instead of becoming a free agent at 29, McDavid will do so at 31. It might seem minor, but many NHLers see their skills decline after 30. Another factor is that when McDavid finally signs, the new CBA rules on contract length will apply, meaning the maximum deal with his current team will be seven years, and he’ll only be able to land six years on the open market. Although this one-year reduction isn’t a significant issue, it will likely cause McDavid to leave money on the table on his next deal. In terms of missed opportunities, McDavid would have been the first generational player in NHL free agency to test the market in the prime of his career. While it would have made great theater for the NHL, it would also have been an opportunity for McDavid to shift the league’s balance of power toward whichever team he joined, while helping reset the salary structure for superstar NHLers. McDavid is clearly not a $12.5M player, but like many top NHLers before him, he took a "hometown discount" to stay with his current team. For some NHLers, taking that discount has worked out well (Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Nathan MacKinnon). Far more often, the savings from a reduced salary cap are wasted. Even Crosby, who traded tens of millions of dollars to play on consistently competitive teams, saw many of those seasons marred by costly mistakes on depth players with inflated cap hits (Jack Johnson, Erik Gudbranson, Nick Bjugstad). Crosby essentially subsidized poor roster decisions with his lower cap hits, and he would no doubt do so again, given the Stanley Cup championships Pittsburgh has won during his career. McDavid’s decision to re-sign essentially upholds the NHL’s long-standing tradition of superstars taking less money to stay with their team, and no doubt he did so while feeling loyalty to the Oilers fans who have endured the same heartbreaks he has. The reality is, McDavid has gone through a decade without winning the Cup, despite multiple front-office makeovers, coaching changes, cap mismanagement and an inability to surround him with real depth. And while the depth has improved over the last few years, the “we’re almost there” mentality won’t put a Stanley Cup ring on McDavid’s finger. All of this to say, McDavid probably owed it to himself to explore free agency at least to see if a team with a more precise winning blueprint could emerge, giving him a better chance at a title. July 1, 2026, would have offered a window into that, but McDavid chose not to look, and it could come back to haunt him if he never wins a championship. McDavid had all the leverage, which makes his decision baffling, because exploring free agency didn’t require him to leave Edmonton. He could have casually explored his options, had discussions with teams, listened to their pitches and then re-signed with Edmonton—something that might have pushed the Oilers to step up their game and get creative with their roster. But the Oilers didn’t need to worry about losing McDavid, and it seems this has led to some apathy across the organization, as they don’t seem to be a group hungry to win. Generational players across all leagues have frequently tested free agency. NBA superstar LeBron James famously took his talents from Cleveland to Miami nearly 15 years ago, and MLB superstar pitcher Paul Skenes will likely follow suit one day. It’s common, and not all players do it because they’re leaving; they do it for a variety of reasons. They can because the process gives them power, and it’s one of the few times they get to fully control their own destiny. McDavid could have taken a different route, but he didn’t. While he’s given the team a short leash to build a winner around him, he could have kept that leash even tighter, which might have pushed the Oilers to solve their roster issues more quickly. It could also have generated a story that might have become a sensation across all platforms — a broader narrative focusing on a star-driven tale on a smaller scale than MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani’s. The buzz would have been enormous and arguably the biggest NHL story since the Oilers traded Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. Moving on could have been a great branding opportunity for McDavid to become even more mainstream, but he chose the safe, comfortable route in Edmonton. It’s a loyalty decision, and it’s completely understandable given that the Oilers have been close to a title in the last two years and he has built a bond with his teammates. For his legacy, though, he might need to chase greatness in a different city in the next two-and-a-half years.
Arch Manning has defining performance of college career in win over Texas A&M
In the biggest game of his college football career so far, Texas quarterback Arch Manning grew into the superstar he was touted to be with the nation watching. No. 16 Texas (9-3) earned a huge rivalry win over No. 3 Texas A M (11-1) in Austin on Friday in large part thanks to the second-half play of Manning. Manning was only 8-of-21 for 51 yards in the first half, and the Longhorns trailed the Aggies 10-3 at the break. Texas had an opportunity to kick a field goal and cut the A M lead to four at the break, but an intentional grounding penalty incurred by Manning took that opportunity away. Arch Manning lights up the scoreboard in second half But with the help of a Texas defense that rattled TAMU QB Marcel Reed in the second half, Manning and the 'Horns scored 24 second-half points in a winning effort. Texas' first drive of the second half netted three points, but a strike from Manning to Ryan Wingo on the next UT possession gave the Longhorns the lead and gave Manning some confidence. After another defensive stop, Manning led a six-play, 83-yard TD drive to put the Longhorns up by 10. After Texas A M responded, Manning did as well, running away from the Aggie defense on a 35-yard scoring sprint that ultimately served as the deciding blow. In the end, it was Reed — the more experienced and consistent of the two quarterbacks — that made the back-breaking mistake, throwing an interception deep in Texas territory on a drive that looked poised to end with points. The victory was a team effort for Texas, which will await Saturday's slate of games and beg for several playoff contenders to lose to have a shot at the 12-team playoff field. But it was Manning who would be the face of it. Manning went 14-of-29 for 179 yards and a touchdown through the air and added 53 yards and a score on the ground. The win serves as the biggest moment of Manning's young UT career. Going into Saturday, Manning's sophomore season was marred by inconsistent play. A career day against Arkansas was contrasted by middling performances against Ohio State and Georgia. Standout efforts in wins over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma were overshadowed by no-shows against UTEP, Kentucky and Florida. But Manning rose to his greatest challenge on Saturday, delivering a win in a rivalry game that nobody in the state of Texas — whether they wear burnt orange or maroon — will soon forget.
Eagles' grip on NFC East suddenly in danger of slipping away amid spiral, Cowboys' resurgence
Life comes at you fast in the NFL, and the Philadelphia Eagles are finding that out right now. Now they are in a position where what looked to be a runaway lead in the NFC East is rapidly shrinking, and it could be in danger of completely slipping away after an ugly 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears on Friday. Especially after the Dallas Cowboys won again on Thursday, continuing to narrow the gap in the division. Could the Eagles actually lose the division? The odds are still in the Eagles' favor, but given the way both teams are playing right now, nothing should be considered a given. Dallas has rapidly become one of the hottest teams in the NFL with three consecutive wins, and boasts one of the league's best offenses. The Cowboys' much-maligned defense has also been given a massive boost thanks to the trade-deadline addition of defensive lineman Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets. Dallas really started to get some belief for itself when it rallied to beat the Eagles in a massive NFC East game a week ago. It continued on Thanksgiving with another big win over the Kansas City Chiefs. With Philadelphia's loss on Friday, the gap in the division is now down to just a game-and-a-half with five weeks to go in the season. Hardly insurmountable. Are the Eagles still in the driver's seat? Sure. Would they trade positions with the Cowboys right now? No way. But that doesn't mean anybody in Philadelphia has to be feeling good about any of this given the way the Eagles are playing. Especially when it comes to the team's offense. The Eagles offense has been a struggle for much of the season, and it is getting progressively worse with each game. The passing game has been non-existent. They entered play on Friday with the 23rd-ranked passing offense in the league, and it looked worse than that against the Bears. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has struggled with consistency, the team's best wide receiver — A.J. Brown — seems perpetually miserable with his role and usage, and the play-calling has become shockingly conservative and bland. The running game that carried the Eagles to the Super Bowl a year ago has struggled to build any sort of a rhythm, and Saquon Barkley has been a shell of what he was last season. Even worse, they have almost completely eliminated any designed runs for Hurts, something that was a major X-factor for the offense in recent years. If all of that is not concerning enough, a new issue emerged on Friday — the defense that has helped keep the Eagles afloat this season and lift up the inconsistent offense was completely dominated by the Bears' running game. They were pushed around, bullied and could not get off the field on important third downs. It just looks like a team that has no confidence and nothing going for it. Conversely, the Cowboys all of a sudden look like a team that can do nothing wrong and they are suddenly breathing right down the Eagles' necks. Philadelphia still has games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders (twice) remaining. The Cowboys still have the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Chargers, Commanders and New York Giants. The schedules are pretty similar. But the division might not come down to the opponents. It might come down to what the Eagles and Cowboys can do on their own. The Cowboys should be very confident right now, and the Eagles should not be.
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