While the first unofficial depth chart of the season may not have given any indication who is currently ahead in the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback competition, Kellen Moore’s decision on who will be starting in the first preseason game of the year does suggest that as of right now, it’s Spencer Rattler who has the leg up over his teammates in the Saints quarterback room.
After practice on Friday August 8, Moore shared with reporters that it would be the second-year quarterback who gets the first crack at the Los Angeles Rams defense on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ll start Spencer in the game, and then we’ll go from there with Tyler and then Jake,” Moore said when asked if he was prepared to name a starting quarterback.
But before anyone could overreact and assume that this competition is over because Rattler, who has been considered the favorite from the outset of training camp, Moore made sure to clarify this first preseason game is just one piece of the puzzle that will determine who starts on September 7, and that while Rattler is the guy right now, he still needs to win the job.
“It’ll be another piece of the puzzle. Obviously it’ll be an important piece. But by no means is it any bigger than the collection of all practices that have occurred,” Moore said. “He [Rattler] has earned his way as we’ve gone through this, but it’s just a starting point. We’ll start here, and then continue to keep evaluating this thing as we go.”
Spencer Rattler Eager to Earn Regular Season Starts
After Kellen Moore completed his team with members of the media, Spencer Rattler was the next Saint to step up to the podium, and he was given the opportunity to speak on his head coach’s decision to list him as QB1 for the first preseason game of the year.
“Super excited, awesome opportunity,” Rattler told reporters after practice. “Excited to get out there with the guys. Try to play some clean ball, try to score some points. Have some fun with the guys out there.”
In some respect, Rattler called his shot getting the start in New Orleans’ preseason opener. Earlier in training camp, the 2024 fifth-round pick declared that he was “the best quarterback on the field,” and evidently, he was not lying. But Rattler was 0-6 as the Saints’ starting quarterback during his rookie season, so there is plenty of work left to be done to prove that he’s not only the best of Kellen Moore’s options, but a viable option for the future as well.
Tyler Shough’s Strong Practice Narrows QB Competition
Kellen Moore made sure to note that the Saints coaching staff had decided on Rattler before Friday’s practice. It was a statement worth making because of how well rookie Tyler Shough performed earlier in the day.
Shough has been up and down throughout Saints camp, but on Friday, he delivered what New Orleans.Football’s Mike Triplett called “his best practice session yet”… a good sign as he heads into his first taste of NFL action on Sunday afternoon.
Just as Rattler did, Shough expressed nothing but excitement regarding playing in New Orleans’ preseason opener, seemingly unfazed by having to sit behind his teammate.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to go out there and play. Get a couple quarters in, go out there and just have fun and rip it with all the stuff we’ve been working towards,” Shough told reporters. “Every time I’m out there, I want to throw with conviction and operate and bring a lot of juice to the huddle and make sure we’re procedurally good and all of those things.”
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