The New Orleans Saints officially announced they’ve signed veteran QB Ben DiNucci and re-signed UDFA OL Kyle Hergel to the practice squad.
Carolina Panthers v Buffalo Bills Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images
In a humorous social media post, the former seventh-round NFL Draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys shared some significant personal news on Tuesday morning: that he had joined the black and gold.
I have fun news.
I signed with the Saints this morning.
Source - myself (fairly credible).
— Ben DiNucci (@B_DiNucci6) December 10, 2024
Following his release from the Cowboys in 2022, DiNucci spent a season with the Seattle Sea Dragons of the then-called XFL, where he won 7 of the 10 games he started and threw for 2,671 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Since then, he’s had brief stints on the Denver Broncos practice squad in 2023 and spent time with the Buffalo Bills this offseason.
This move likely indicates that Derek Carr won’t be ready in time for Sunday’s matchup with the Washington Commanders, despite not being ruled out yet. Adding an experienced guy to the room who can split reps in practice and possibly serve as the emergency third quarterback on game day is likely the main motive behind this move. If Carr isn’t able to suit up, the starting role will still boil down to either Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener.
As for Hergel, he had an impressive offseason, though he struggled during the lone game he appeared in against the Broncos in Week 7, where he allowed two pressures on the 35 pass block snaps he saw. He’s an intriguing prospect who can hopefully develop into a solid depth piece for New Orleans in the future.