Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) warms up before a game against the Denver Broncos at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Saints QB Decision Explained: Why Spencer Rattler

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 8:10 AM ET

After all of the rumors and speculation of the offseason quarterback competition for the New Orleans Saints, they have made their choice and it can finally be put to rest.

Spencer Rattler is the guy for New Orleans. The Saints cut ties with Jake Haener on Tuesday and announced Rattler as the starter and Tyler Shough as the backup.

"Spencer Rattler is our starting quarterback," head coach Kellen Moore said. "Really, really excited for him. He's done an awesome job this offseason. So, he's just been consistent. He's made some really good decisions throughout this whole entire process. And you know, his ability to make plays with his arm and his feet have certainly shown up. And so I'm really excited about Spencer. He's earned this opportunity. He's going to do a tremendous job for us."

It clearly was a tough decision -- which is why New Orleans was the final team to pick a starting quarterback. So, why did the Saints roll with Rattler? Moore further explained the decision on Tuesday, as shared by Jeff Nowak of Audacy Sports.

So, what led to Spencer Rattler winning the Saints job?

"I thought he did some really good things, certainly the last couple weeks of practice he had consistent performances just day in and day out," Moore said as transcribed by Nowak.

Throughout his media availability, Moore was asked plenty of questions about the job in general. One thing Moore made clear was that Rattler is the guy and this won't be a discussion that dominates the team moving forward.

"That's the important thing, guys," Moore said. "We're not getting into this QB debate throughout the season," Moore said. "Spencer's our starting quarterback. Tyler's gonna keep developing."

Throughout camp, Rattler was the more consistent of the three quarterbacks. Now, he's going to get a shot to start for New Orleans in Moore's first year as head coach. It's important to note that with Moore coming in this offseason, there was no reason for him to just hand the job to Rattler -- or anyone for that matter. Rattler earned the job and will show what he can do starting Week 1.

More NFL: Saints 53-Man Roster: Winners, Losers, Key Takeaways

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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