The Saints have landed on a starting quarterback to lead New Orleans into the 2025 season.
Head coach Kellen Moore named Spencer Rattler the starter on Tuesday.
Though there wasn't a ton to separate the two signal-callers in the stat sheet after three preseason contests, most reports pegged Rattler as the team's best performing thrower in camp over Tyler Shough, and he's indeed been rewarded for a solid August by receiving the QB1 nod.
"Spencer Rattler's our starting quarterback. Really, really excited for him. He's done an awesome job this offseason," Moore said. "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 arm and his feet have certainly showed up. I'm really, really excited about Spencer, he's earned this opportunity, he's going to do a tremendous job for us. At the same we're really, really fortunate we got Tyler. Love the development that he's had."
Moore pointed to Rattler's consistency and decision-making as the biggest factors in him winning the QB battle.
"Obviously excited to be the guy going into Week 1," Rattler told reporters, via Audacy Sports' Jeff Nowak. "Want to lead this team, want to lead these guys. Just keep fighting, that's one thing I can promise is putting my all on that field and I know everybody else will. Good to gain that confidence from your coach to make that decision."
A 2024 fifth-round draft pick, Rattler will make his seventh career start on Sept. 7 at home against the Arizona Cardinals. He's expected to make plenty more after that with Moore underscoring he doesn't plan on rehashing who his starting QB is as the year carries on.
"That's the important thing, guys. We're not getting into this QB debate throughout the season," Moore said. "Spencer's our starting quarterback. Tyler's gonna keep developing."
Rattler, who started the team's first and third preseason games and notably played three series with the 1s in the final tune-up before the regular season, threw for 295 yards, one touchdown and an interception on 30-of-43 passing overall on his path to winning the job. He also rushed for 41 yards on seven carries.
His most impressive audition tape actually took place coming off the bench in the second week of preseason against the Jaguars. Following Shough in that contest, Rattler overcame a 17-3 halftime deficit to snatch a tie from the jaws of defeat with an 87-yard two-minute drill and subsequent two-point conversion he scored with his legs. He completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts for 199 yards and a touchdown on the day.
Shough, meanwhile, has gone 36 of 54 for 333 yards, one TD and one INT, with another score and 23 rushing yards on three carries during the preseason.
Rattler's ability to beat out Shough, the No. 40 overall pick in April's draft and New Orleans' third-highest signal-caller selected in franchise history, could be seen as a bit of a surprise -- especially considering the rookie's age. Shough, exactly a year older than Rattler, is set to turn 26 in September. Given his draft status and the fact that he's entering the NFL very much on the older side for a rookie, New Orleans likely hoped Shough would prove ready to start sooner rather than later.
Nonetheless, the Saints have once again turned to Rattler, who went 0-6 subbing in for an injured Derek Carr last season with 1,317 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions over the course of his first year in the league.
The Saints will require much more from Rattler in his second extended go-round as a starter, an opportunity that opened up due to Carr's surprise retirement in April and that Rattler seized through his play during camp and preseason.
It remains to be seen how long a leash Rattler enjoys after emerging victorious from the three-way QB competition with Shough and a seemingly distant third option in Jake Haener, who was waived on Tuesday.
If he plays well enough, Rattler won't have to find out, and perhaps the Saints can begin to turn things around in the wake of a 12-loss season, their most defeats since the 2005 campaign.
