Saints: Days after Derek Carr's retirement, Spencer Rattler gets 100% real on Saints QB competition

The New Orleans Saints are in an interesting spot entering their offseason programs. On May 10, the team lost veteran quarterback Derek Carr, who surprisingly retired after 11 seasons in the NFL.

According to team scans, Carr had suffered a torn labrum, along with degenerative changes to his rotator cuff in his throwing arm.

Three quarterbacks are set to compete to be named starting quarterback: Rookie Tyler Shough, second-year signal-caller Spencer Rattler, and 26-year-old Jake Haener. Entering the competition with the most starting experience of the three, the 2024 fifth-round pick spoke on the pressure of a quarterback battle on Sunday.

During his media availability at the 2025 Saints Hall of Fame Golf Classic, Rattler spoke about the changes in the QB room.

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"I think it's a tight QB room already," he said. "I’ve known Chuck for a while now, being from Arizona and obviously Haener's here. So, it's a tight-knit room. Love the coaches, love the guys in there, and we're just working right now."

"You can't put too much pressure on yourself. It's Year Two. Great opportunity ahead of me. I've just got to keep working, keep my head down and give it what I've got."

Rattler started six games for New Orleans in the wake of Carr's injury last season, completing 57% of his passes for 1,317 yards and four touchdowns with five interceptions.

Tyler Shough heavy favorite to win Saints starting job

The Saints will join the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns this offseason as the only teams set to hold an open quarterback competition. First-year coach Kellen Moore will hand-pick the team's starting quarterback as the offense gears up for a position battle.

Though Rattler has the most playing experience in the Saints' quarterback room, New Orleans' rookie, Tyler Shough, enters the competition as the heavy favorite to line up as the team's starter in Week 1.

Tyler Shough has (-295) odds to start Week 1, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, compared to Rattler's odds of (+200). Moore and New Orleans' front office made the call to bring in Shough over the likes of Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe, selecting the Louisville product with the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Backup Jake Haener is a massive (+2500) underdog in the battle. Haener appeared in eight games for the Saints last season, making one start.

About the author

Ethen Hutton is an analyst who works for Sportskeeda, covering College Football, the NFL, the NBA and the WNBA. Ethen graduated high school with academic and athletic honors and is a member of the National High School Honors Society. After a gap year, Ethen jumped into sports writing and has over two years of experience in the field.

Ethen was raised in Ohio and is a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. His favorite all-time player is Pete Maravich as his shooting and ball-handling abilities were way ahead of his time. His favorite player in today’s NBA is Nikola Jokic due to his fascinating skillset as a big man.

Ethen loves the storylines around the NBA and the chaos that the offseason and trade deadlines bring. He enjoys technical deep dives with strong statistical analysis as well as stories where he's able to take a stance as an analyst. He is very prideful in the correctness of his work and will do extensive research to ensure all facts and evidence are 100% accurate.

When not working, Ethen enjoys recording his sports podcast, Wide Right. He is also a very invested fantasy football player.

Know More

New Orleans Saints Nation! Check out the latest Saints Schedule and dive into the New Orleans Saints Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Ruth John S