The New Orleans Saints have a unique situation on their hands when it comes to the quarterback position in 2025. After Derek Carr’s abrupt retirement earlier this offseason, the Saints were left without a true starter under center. As a result, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and rookie Tyler Shough will be competing for the starting job in Week 1.
Both Rattler and Haener got action for New Orleans last season, but neither of them showed enough to fully earn the starting job for themselves. As a result, it’s a full-on competition at training camp, and former NFL quarterback Chris Simms recently weighed in on the situation and revealed who he thinks will be starting under center for the Saints to start the season.
Who Does Chris Simms Think Will Start for the Saints in Week 1?
The Saints have three options at quarterback, but none of them are particularly great. Rattler seems to have the inside track to the starting job, even though he did not win a single game he started last season. A fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Rattler threw for 1,317 yards and four touchdowns over seven games of action with New Orleans as a rookie.
Haener also played for the Saints last season, although he didn’t get as much action as Rattler. A fourth-round pick in 2023, Haener took the field in eight games, but he only threw for 226 yards and a single touchdown during his time on the field. Again, it’s a brief sample, but Haener did not do much to impress last season.
That leads us to Shough, who was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In his lone season with the Louisville Cardinals in 2024, Shough threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns. The problem is that, despite being given every shot to make the starting job his own, he hasn’t to this point in training camp. With that in mind, Simms thinks that Rattler is going to get the start come Week 1 for the Saints.
“I’m gonna go with Spencer Rattler,” Simms said on “Pro Football Talk.” “I think Spencer Rattler is better than people realize, and then two, I think Shough being a rookie and the team not maybe being exactly where they want, they’re not just gonna throw him out there right away.”
Who Should Start for New Orleans at Quarterback in Week 1?
GettySpencer Rattler #18 of the New Orleans Saints
It’s a tough situation for the Saints to be in when it comes to their quarterback room. Nobody jumped off the page to begin with, and the fact that all three guys were listed as the starting option at this spot on the team’s initial depth chart isn’t exactly a great sign either. However, there is still time for someone to make this job their own.
If that doesn’t happen, though, Rattler seems likely the best option, based solely on the fact that he has the most experience in the NFL of this group. Given the fact that he was selected in the second round, Shough will probably get a shot at some point this season, but to open the campaign, Rattler seems like the safe choice if no one else wows the coaching staff.
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