Falcons' NFC South Rival Officially Names Surprise Starting Quarterback

The New Orleans Saints have officially named their starter for the 2025 season, and the NFC South rivals of the Atlanta Falcons will roll out second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler. 

“He’s just been consistent,” Saints head coach Kellen Moore said about why he made this choice. “He’s made some really good decisions throughout this whole entire process, and his ability to make plays with his arm and his feet have certainly showed up.”

Rattler, who was in a camp battle with rookie Tyler Shough this summer, played in seven games (starting six) for the Saints last season. The 2024 fifth-round pick struggled with turnovers as a rookie and completed 130 of 228 passes (57%) for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions. He added 146 rushing yards on 18 carries, but fumbled five times, losing three. 

The second-year quarterback was inactive and did not play against the Falcons last season. Instead, Derek Carr was healthy for both games, and the teams split wins. The second of which saw the shoulder injury to Kirk Cousins that eventually derailed the Falcons’ season. 

In preseason action, Rattler completed 30 of 43 (69.7%) for 295 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also ran for 41 yards on seven carries. Meanwhile, Shough completed 36 of 54 (66.7%) of his passes for 333 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He added 23 yards on the ground and a touchdown. 

Shough, the No. 40 pick in last spring’s draft, is the team’s highest-drafted quarterback since the Saints took Archie Manning with the second overall pick in 1971. He will now have to wait his turn in New Orleans as he continues to develop. 

In corresponding moves, the Saints opted to release Jake Haener and placed gadget quarterback Taysom Hill on the reserve/PUP list. 

The Saints will start their season off at home against the Arizona Cardinals on September 7. 

After a tumultuous offseason that included the hiring of a new head coach and the sudden retirement of Carr, the Saints are clearly a team in rebuilding mode. The Falcons, who will not face off with their division foes until Week 12 and Week 18 of this year, will hope to take advantage of that fact this fall. 

Atlanta and New Orleans have one of the best rivalries in the NFL. They have played 112 times since 1967, and the series is split right down the middle (56-56). The Saints have been the better side in the series going back to the 2006 season when Drew Brees and Sean Payton took over. The Saints lead the series for that timeframe 26-12. The Falcons will hope to sweep the series for the first time since 2016.