The biggest question for the New Orleans Saints heading into this season was who their starting quarterback would be. After the retirement of Derek Carr, New Orleans seemed to have two options in last year's part time starter Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough.
On Tuesday, the team revealed its answer.
“BREAKING: The #Saints are naming Spencer Rattler as their starting quarterback. Rookie Tyler Shough will back up Spencer Rattler,” reported NFL insider Jordan Schultz on X, formerly Twitter.
Head coach Kellen Moore also commented on the decision at Tuesday's media availability.
“We're really, really excited for him. He's done an awesome job this offseason,” said Moore, per Schultz. “He's just been consistent, he's made some really good decisions throughout this whole entire process, and his ability to make plays with his arms and his feet have certainly shown up.”
Spencer Rattler started at times down the stretch of last season after starter Derek Carr went down with injury. The former South Carolina quarterback made some plays for the Saints over the course of his starts last year, but still didn't do enough to prevent there from being an intense competition between himself and the rookie Shough over the course of this year's preseason.
Ultimately, it seems that Rattler was able to do just enough to win over Moore's confidence.
The Saints enter this year knowing it may be something of a rebuilding season as they look to retool for the future. Rattler remains one of the younger quarterbacks in the league and could theoretically turn himself into a future piece to build around with a strong performance this year.
The Saints are scheduled to kick off their 2025 season at home against the Arizona Cardinals on September 7 at 1:00 PM ET, which will be fans' first chance to see Rattler in action.
