The New Orleans Saints have a disastrous quarterback room for the 2025 season, and it doesn't appear they're going to take any more steps to upgrade it before the season begins.
With veteran quarterback Derek Carr entering retirement following a brutal shoulder injury, the Saints were left with the trio of Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener as the best three quarterbacks on the roster.
Shough, the team's second round draft pick this offseason, is the heavy favorite to win the starting quarterback job out of training camp.
Both Rattler and Haener were given opportunities to play last season when Carr was sidelined with injuries. But both young signal callers looked lost and overwhelmed at the highest level.
With that in mind, the Saints may already look toward the 2026 NFL Draft to find the quarterback of the future, especially if the team is favored to land a top three pick in the draft.
To add some fuel to the fire, one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft class, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, was recently seen with Saints head coach Kellen Moore at New Orleans' minicamp.
While this likely has more to do with the proximity of LSU and the Saints, it's still quite an interesting wrinkle to look into.
Nussmeier is a very talented quarterback who fits the mold that Moore seems to like in NFL quarterbacks. If the Saints land a top three pick, potentially the No. 1 pick, they will have the chance to grab Nussmeier.
It's never too early to familiarize a potential draft pick with the team. Maybe this is an overreaction, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Saints target Nussmeier in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Why a real Saints QB competition is brewing
The New Orleans Saints are a team that is looking for a new identity. Kellen Moore is now a first-time head coach for the Saints, aiming to bounce back from a difficult 2024-25 season. The biggest question for the Saints right now is the quarterback room and who will emerge as the starter. It seems a real QB competition is brewing in New Orleans.
Dan Graziano wrote an ESPN article breaking down quarterback questions for all 32 teams in the NFL. When discussing the Saints, the insider wrote that the Saints are far from knowing who their starter will be. Derek Carr has retired, and Spencer Rattler is the one QB with experience on the team. That is not a great sign. However, drafting rookie Tyler Shough from Louisville is a move that the front office is loving, and Shough is already turning heads in OTAs.
Here is what Graziano said about the current Saints QB situation.
“When the Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round and then Derek Carr retired a few months later, it certainly was fair to assume Shough would be in line to take over as the starter. And he absolutely might be the QB1. But there are people in the Saints’ building who like Spencer Rattler and want to give him a chance to compete with Shough for the starting job. And so far this offseason, Rattler has shown improvement over his poor 2024 rookie performance.”
Rattler was an elite college quarterback at both Oklahoma before Caleb Williams broke onto the scene, as well as at South Carolina. Rattler has an elite arm and is quick enough to make plays outside of the pocket. Shough is one year older than Rattler, so it is hard to know who will step up and become the guy. Shough was Justin Herbert’s backup at Oregon in 2018; that is how long he has been playing in college.
Graziano finished his statement with what to expect.
“As of now, expect the Saints to set up training camp as a true competition between Shough and Rattler. Could Shough have the edge as the player the new coaching staff drafted with the 40th pick? Absolutely. But it doesn’t sound like anything is already a done deal.”
