With a 1-8 record on the season, the New Orleans Saints will have some tough conversations moving forward regarding the veterans on the roster and the young players behind them. It’s time for a youth movement so the Saints can see who will be part of their future, and this could result in starters being benched.
The One Benching That Must Happen
Looking at the entire Saints roster, the name that stands out as a veteran who could be benched is LB Pete Werner. Starting with Werner’s play this season, he has been very underwhelming. Per PFSN’s LB Impact metric, Werner has a 65.1 impact score, ranks #64 among all LBs, is 55th in missed tackle rate, and has two F-ranked performances on the season.
Clearly, there are issues when Werner is on the field, but what exacerbates the situation is that the players behind him are younger and have been outplaying him. The Saints selected Danny Stutsman in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he has been yet another promising rookie this season for New Orleans. Another young LB, Isaiah Stalbird, has also had playing time and impressed this season.
How the Saints Defense Will Improve With This Move
In a short amount of snaps, Stutsman and Stalbird have outplayed Werner so far this season, but for some reason, the Saints continue to start Werner. There is a chance that Werner continued to start because of the trade deadline, and the team was hoping to maintain the veteran LB’s value. Now that no more trades are allowed to occur, there is no reason to continue starting Werner.
When/if Werner gets benched by the Saints, the run defense should see an improvement. In DC Brandon Staley’s scheme, the LBs are a massive difference maker against the run. LB Demario Davis is getting older, but he is still a very good player; therefore, pairing another great run defender like Stutsman next to him could help address many of the Saints’ issues. For this week’s game, this is something that must happen.
The Carolina Panthers, whom New Orleans will face on Sunday, rely heavily on the run game, and stopping it will put the ball in QB Bryce Young’s hands. This is one way the Saints could win on Sunday, but if Werner remains the starter, the odds of that happening are very low. At least, if Stutsman is put in as the starter, New Orleans will have a much better chance at suppressing Carolina’s run attack.