The New Orleans Saints had no choice but to end the drama surrounding Spencer Rattler behind Derek Carr before kickoff of Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen tried to contain the hype surrounding Rattler by using the rare “or” word on the team’s official roster when naming the rookie or Jake Haener as the primary backup.

But while Allen and Co. wanted to keep the “competition” theme for the two developmental players, NFL rules and roster limitations meant the Saints actually had to name an official substitute to don the headset on the sidelines against the Panthers.

And that man was Haener, while Rattler was one of the team’s inactive players.

We’ll see if the Saints split that duty between the two on a weekly basis, assuming Carr stays productive and healthy. But no matter which player they select to start the season, it would raise eyebrows among fans and things would go both ways.

The fact that it’s Haener might end up being more controversial than if it had been the other way around at the start of the season. Rattler is, at least in Week 1, the third emergency quarterback.

While this is one hurdle in this saga that NFL experts say fans should keep a close eye on, Carr’s performance will continue to be scrutinized.

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