The New Orleans Saints are currently embroiled in a three-man competition for the starting quarterback role. Kellen Moore has maintained that Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough and Jake Haener are equal contenders for the position.
The attention has been squarely on Shough and Rattler through the offseason, leaving Haener as an afterthought. Rattler started six games last year and beat out Haener for the role. Shough was a top-50 pick. It makes sense the conversation rolled around those two.
As training camp progresses, the picture at quarterback will become more clear. As things currently stand, Spencer Rattler looks to be the guy in the lead, and it’s not just because he took the first first-team reps.
Saints quarterback rotation has revealed a pattern
The Saints are currently operating on a rotational system for the quarterback battle, with each guy getting a full day with the first team rather than swapping out throughout the practice. Saints Wire’s John Sigler tracked the rotation through the first six days.
Each quarterback has seen two days with the first-team, but Spencer Ratter is the only one that hasn’t been with the third-team offense. When it isn’t Rattler’s turn in the rotation, he doesn’t drop far. It’s most notable when Jake Haener is starting because it pushes Shough to the third team instead of Rattler getting reps with this unit.
Conversely, it’s boom-or-bust for Haener. He’s either with the third-team or the starting unit. These subtleties give a bit of insight into the battle.
Haener may be a part of the battle but the rotation suggests Rattler and Shough are higher on the pecking order. Rattler not taking any third-team reps doesn’t confirm he will beat out Shough. It does position him as the leader in the pack for the time being.
The expectation should be that the rotation remains the same until the Saints first preseason game. If everything remains constant, Rattler will start that game. Shough will more than likely start the next game. Once New Orleans is two games into the preseason, we will get the best picture of where things stand. We may even get a starter announced. Until then, we're going off what we're given, and it looks like Rattler has the lead.