There's been no bigger story for the New Orleans Saints this offseason than Spencer Rattler versus Tyler Shough versus Jake Haener. The triple threat for the title of Saints starting quarterback is at another pivotal point, the preseason. Kellen Moore announced Rattler will be the starter in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Saints unofficial depth chart lists Rattler, Shough and Haener all at QB1. That's just a sign of how close this battle has been. The Saints are going to be thorough in their search, and this is just one step of that process.
Moore made it clear that while the games are valuable they won't outweigh what the Saints have seen over the last three weeks. "It will be a great evaluation piece for us. By no means is it any bigger than the collection of all these practices that have occurred," Moore said.
Spencer Rattler starting in Saints vs. Chargers was the obvious choice
The quarterback battle is far from over, but this does feel like a reinforcement that Rattler is in the lead. “He’s earned his way as he’s gone through this,” Moore said. By all accounts of those present at training camp, this has been clear.
In the three way battle, it's been Rattler who has stood out the most. He's paired consistency with flash plays as well. ESPN's Katherine Terrell reported Rattler capped off his first drive in Friday's scrimmage with a long touchdown to Rashid Shaheed. It was a play that electrified the sidelines, with someone yelling, "that's how you set the tone."
It isn't just deep shots either. Rattler has played well in situational sessions, such as in red zone. He's shown consistency through practice and has had two practices where he was nearly perfect on the day.
In his second training camp, Rattler has looked more comfortable and improved. As the games approach, he has to maintain that level of play. If he does, there's a chance he can wrap this battle up before the final preseason game.