Saints head coach Kellen Moore announced on Friday that second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler would start the team’s preseason opener on Sunday.
Rookie Tyler Shough will be the second quarterback to take the field, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football, followed by 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener. The three young signal-callers have been competing for the Saints’ starting quarterback job this summer, with Shough firmly leading Rattler in PFR’s poll on the battle.
Rattler getting the starting nod for Sunday’s game indicates that he has an early lead in the competition. He’ll get the chance to play with the rest of the first-team offense minus a handful of resting veterans. This week, the former fifth-round pick had back-to-back days as the Saints’ QB1, according to Triplett, the first time any of the quarterbacks led two consecutive practices.
Shough is thought to be the Saints’ quarterback of the future after securing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, but that won’t automatically get him a starting job. He and Rattler are both potential multi-year starters as both will be in New Orleans through at least 2027. The Saints could give Rattler a chance to prove himself this year with a clear backup plan of moving to Shough, either later in the season or in the 2026 offseason.
Haener, meanwhile, has always seemed like the clear QB3 in New Orleans. He only started one game amid Derek Carr‘s injuries in 2024, while Rattler was tabbed for six.