The New Orleans Saints have named their starting quarterback for Week 1 of the NFL season.
Saints coach Kellen Moore announced Tuesday that Spencer Rattler will open the season as the team’s starter. He beat out rookie Tyler Shough for the position.
Moore explained that the Saints liked Rattler’s consistency, as well as his ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs.
Kellen Moore on #Saints starting QB Spencer Rattler: “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.” pic.twitter.com/bGcp5GA5bS
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 26, 2025
The Saints took Shough at No. 40 in April’s NFL Draft, and there was even some speculation that he might be the favorite to win the starting job after Derek Carr retired. However, the Saints appear to prefer prioritizing Shough’s long-term development, and gave the nod to Rattler and his experience, however modest it is.
A fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Rattler started six games for the Saints last season, with the team losing all six of them. He completed 57 percent of his passes and threw for 1,317 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. At one point, he was benched for Jake Haener, but regained the job after Carr suffered a season-ending injury and Haener proved just as ineffective.
During the preseason, Rattler went 30/43 for 295 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
It is certainly possible the Saints could turn to Shough at some point, particularly if Rattler does not perform well to start the season. For now, the former Oklahoma and South Carolina quarterback will get the first shot at making the job his own.
