Who Should I Start? Andy Dalton or Spencer Rattler

Tuesday, February 18, 4:15 PM

The Carolina Panthers and quarterback Andy Dalton agreed on a two-year, $8 million deal on Tuesday that includes $6 million guaranteed and has a maximum value of $10 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The veteran signal-caller will remain in Carolina, where he's developed a close relationship with starter Bryce Young. Dalton, 37, ended up making five starts for the Panthers in 2024 after the team benched Young following his slow start. In his six appearances in his second year in Carolina, the Red Rifle completed 66.3% of his 160 pass attempts for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions before suffering a thumb injury in a car accident that gave the Panthers a reason to go back to Young to end the year. Young looked the best he has in his young career to close out 2024, so Dalton will be entrenched as his backup entering the 2025 season.

Monday, January 6, 2:22 AM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler finished his rookie season with another up-and-down performance in the team's 27-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The fifth-rounder out of South Carolina went 21-for-28 in the first half, completing a pass to 10 different receivers and throwing a touchdown to Dante Pettis along the way. However, he completed just five more passes after halftime, finishing 26-for-42 for 240 yards and the score. To his credit, he stayed free of any turnovers after throwing three picks and fumbling twice in his previous two starts. In his first year as a pro, Rattler saw far more playing time than expected when he was drafted while covering for Derek Carr's (hand) pair of multi-week absences due to injury. The rookie finishes with 1,317 passing yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions with a 57% completion rate.