Pro Football Network's Sterling Xie evaluated each team's roster after the NFL draft and identified one player who has become expendable. The answer for the New Orleans Saints centers around Tyler Shough, but the player may surprise you.
The addition of Shough signifies the end of the Derek Carr era, but PFN thinks it is a sign Spencer Rattler is on his way out the door. As it currently stands, the Saints have Carr, Jake Haener, Rattler and Shough in their quarterback room.
Carr seems like the obvious odd man out after Kellen Moore handpicked Shough as his guy. In this scenario, however, Carr remains in New Orleans. That feels like the least likely resolution to the Carr fiasco. If he isn't on another team, injured reserve is where he'll spend 2025.
Spencer Rattler versus Jake Haener: who would the Saints keep?
Xie wrote, "it’s highly improbable the Saints would keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, leaving Rattler and Haener competing for one spot." Let's place Carr's inclusion to the side for a moment. Xie's premise introduces an interesting conversation. Would the Saints pick Haener over Rattler?
It seems unlikely on the surface, but Xie believes the larger sample size for Rattler could work against him instead of in favor of the second-year player. “Given that Rattler got a longer look than Haener, the Saints might be more willing to move on from him if the competition is close in training camp and the preseason,” Xie said.
There’s one major thing that contradict this. Rattler and Haener don’t appear to be on equal footing. Rattler had more time on the field because Haener was benched just halfway into his first start. Haener’s stock wasn’t high with the last regime, and he hasn’t been a talking point this offseason.
With Carr’s availability up in the air at best, it is Rattler, not Haener, being viewed as one half of a quarterback battle with Shough. One could even go as far to say Rattler is the second safest bet on the roster to be a part of the quarterback room.
There's still room for New Orleans to bring in a veteran quarterback if they move on from Carr. Haener is the next most experienced quarterback on the roster. A third-year player is in no position to be mentor a rookie starting quarterback. If the Saints had to make a decision on dropping from four quarterbacks to three on the roster, Haener is the most likely to leave, unless someone comes calling about Rattler.