The New Orleans Saints ended the 2024 NFL season with a disappointing 5‑12 record, which led to the unexpected retirement of veteran quarterback Derek Carr. Following that announcement, the franchise now finds itself in the middle of a three-way battle for the starting job between Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough, and Jake Haener.
New Saints head coach Kellen Moore built an offensive staff focused on quarterback development and gave the green light to an open competition for the starting role. It was expected that the team’s future would revolve around a young quarterback, either Rattler or the rookie Shough.
The Saints selected Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, showing confidence in his long-term potential as a leader. Although he was initially listed as QB1 on the depth chart, the battle is far from over, and the competition remains open between him, Haener, and Rattler, who recently sent a strong message to his fellow quarterbacks.
Rattler’s message to the Saints and his QB competitors
“I know what I bring to the table. I was confident in what I can do in this competition. I feel like that brings the best out of me. And I feel like throughout this camp, I’ve been the best quarterback on the field,” Rattler said in an interview with Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports.
“So I want to keep that going and keep showing the team, keep showing the guys, keep showing the coaches that I want to be that guy,” Rattler concluded about his performance in training camp heading into the upcoming season, making it clear he feels ahead of the rest of the quarterbacks on the roster.
Will Rattler be the Saints’ QB1?
During the early days of training camp, Rattler took first-team reps and stood out for his timing and rhythm, logging the highest snap count among the three quarterbacks. Moore stated that all three would be given an equal opportunity, so the battle remains wide open.