The quarterback battle is the most important battle on the New Orleans Saints and all eyes are currently on it right now. There will be a three man battle between Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener for the starting quarterback position.
The Saints would love to solidify their starting quarterback vacancy early and understand the benefit of having an answer early, but this battle will likely last throughout training camp and the preseason. The Saints want to make sure that they've evaluated closely and carefully before making a decision.
Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener will alternate days with the Saints first team
Each day the Saints will give one of the three quarterbacks a day with the first team offense opposed to swapping roles throughout the day. This rotation will lead up all the way until the first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers on August 10th. Moore explicitly giving this date may suggest a desire to drop the battle to two players after the first game.
This approach will allow the coaches to closely evaluate each quarterbacks performance in different situations and view their strengths and weaknesses. It also gives each quarterback time to get into a rhythm. Staying with one unit for the day provides a consistent presence at quarterback for the rest of the team and allows that young guy to show a strong response to adversity.
The Saints are looking for the quarterback that is the most consistent and sound in decision making. This gives each quarterback an opportunity to showcase their skills and potential in the new offensive system.
Haener is the forgoten man in the QB battle
Many people have focused their attention on Rattler and Shough and have completely forgotten that Haener is on the roster. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis emphasized that it is more than a 3 man battle for the position, per NewOrleans.Football's Mike Triplett, "Stressed that there are 3 candidates, not 2. Shough, Rattler and Haener."
It's not like Haener is just some random guy on the roster, he is the longest tenured quarterback on the Saints roster, after being selected in the 4th round by the squad in 2023. He also has one career start which came in Week 15 against the Washington Commanders where he completed 4 of 10 passes for 40 yards, and one interception, before being benched at halftime.
Haener may not be considered as the favorite to win the starting quarterback job, but the staff has made it a point to include Haener every step of the way. It feels like he's a clear third in the race, but he's been mentioned too many times to not include. A good showing in training camp and in the preseason could make this decision a lot more interesting for the Saints staff.