Aug 10, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore observes the playing of the national anthem before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Saints QB Battle Heating Up As Regular Season Draws Closer

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 12:00 PM ET

When Derek Carr opted to retire earlier in the offseason, the New Orleans Saints and newly signed head coach Kellen Moore were left scrambling for options under center.

The Saints landed on a trio of young quarterbacks to battle it out for the starting spot. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener were on the roster last season and each saw time on the field as Carr battled injuries. Tyler Shough was drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. These three quarterbacks are engaged in a heated battle for the starting job ahead of Week 1 of the regular season.

Bleacher Report's Moe Moton recently highlighted this position battle as one of the more important battles of the offseason.

Saints QB battle coming down to the wire as Week 1 approaches

"Derek Carr's retirement opened up a spot under center for the New Orleans Saints. The club selected Shough in the second round of this year's draft and returned two backups for this competition," Moton wrote. "In Week 1 of the preseason, the Saints quarterbacks didn't provide a ton of highlights, though Shough showed some resilience with a touchdown drive after he threw a pick-six. The second-rounder completed 15 out of 22 passes for 165 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He outplayed Rattler and Haener.

"Rattler completed seven out of 11 passes for 53 yards. Haener only led two drives, throwing an interception in one of them. Regardless of who wins this battle, the Saints will experience rough stretches with their passing game. That said, Shough did OK for his first game in the pros. The rookie is going to make mistakes; he needs to learn from them."

Coach Moore played all three options in the first game of the preseason and nobody really stood out.

Shough looked solid for the most part, but did throw an interception. Haener added an interception in the game, too. Rattler didn't play as much as Shough, but he still looked solid in his short time on the field.

At the end of the day, it seems like the Saints are leaning toward Shough as their starter. Both Rattler and Haener were given opportunities to play last season and they struggled. At times, the Saints were uncompetitive with these two under center.

With that in mind, it makes sense to go to Shough first. The Saints drafted him in the second round because it seems like they believe in him. Starting him in Week 1 makes the most sense for everybody involved.

More NFL: Saints Position Battle Heating Up As Preseason Winds Down

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

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