Speculation about Derek Carr’s Saints future came to an end when he elected to retire in lieu of undergoing shoulder surgery. The procedure would have kept him from playing in New Orleans (or elsewhere) in 2025, so the four-time Pro Bowler brought his career to an end and began the team’s next era under center. 
Carr handled starting duties for a pair of campaigns with the Saints after his Raiders tenure came to a close. The arrival of new head coach Kellen Moore brought about questions regarding a departure, but that is of course a moot point now. This year’s training camp will see Moore and his staff evaluate New Orleans’ four remaining signal-callers to determine the pecking order.
That quartet includes undrafted free agent Hunter Dekkers. Like in essentially any case regarding UDFAs, he profiles as a practice squad candidate once roster cuts are made at the end of the summer. The Saints’ other three quarterbacks – Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener – are positioned to battle for the starting gig.
In the wake of the Carr retirement, Moore left the door open to a veteran addition under center. None came about during the late stages of free agency, though, so the Shough-Rattler-Haener trio is set to take part in an open competition. New Orleans has drafted a quarterback during each of the past three years, leaving each contender short on experience.
Shough emerged as a name to watch for the Saints during the pre-draft process as the team sought out a Carr successor capable of playing as early as this year. Entering the league as a 25-year-old, he certainly profiles as a candidate to see the field early at the NFL level. Over the course of his seven years in college, however, Shough only had one full campaign as a starter.
The Oregon/Texas Tech/Louisville product dealt with a number of injuries before managing to remain healthy for a full campaign in 2024. Shough’s size and arm strength made him an intriguing option in this year’s quarterback class, one which is not held in high regard compared to next year’s. Nevertheless, New Orleans could turn to him right away in a bid to evaluate his candidacy as a long-term answer under center.
2025 has seen a notable uptick in guaranteed compensation for second-round rookies. Shough, taken 40th overall, was a figure to watch as he joined the players selected around him in seeking a fully guaranteed pact. He recently succeeded in doing so, securing a favorable structure in terms of the payment schedule. That commitment does not ensure Shough will begin his career atop the depth chart, of course, but it illustrates how he will be a member of New Orleans’ QB setup for years to come.
Rattler fell to the fifth round of his draft class despite being the first signal-caller selected after the six first-rounders in 2024 came off the board. The Oklahoma and South Carolina product saw time after Carr was injured, recording a total of six starts. The Saints lost each of those contests while dealing with a number of other absences and ultimately finishing out the campaign under interim head coach Darren Rizzi. Rattler reached 240 passing yards only twice during his time as a starter, and he threw more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four).
Expectations are certainly muted entering Year 2 as a result, although Rattler, 24, represents at least an affordable backup option for the remainder of his rookie contract. The arrival of Moore as head coach will offer him a fresh start after last year’s poor showing. A stretch with better health up front and at the receiver position could allow for a better evaluation of Rattler’s ceiling in the NFL. Whether or not he is capable of handling starting duties will be determined to a large extent in 2025, and training camp and the preseason will be key in Rattler’s assessment. 
Haener did not see the field during his rookie campaign, one which included a PED suspension. The 26-year-old made one start after Carr’s injury last season, a one-point loss despite his 49 passing yards on four completions. If Moore and Co. keep Haener behind Rattler in the pecking order, the QB2 spot is the best-case scenario for the Washington/Fresno State alum.
Winning the starting gig is certainly a possibility entering camp, but Haener is also candidate to operate as the Saints’ emergency third quarterback if Shough and Rattler are still healthy by Week 1. It will be interesting to see if he can alter the depth chart based on how it stood during his first two NFL seasons.
How do you think New Orleans’ competition will play out? Vote in PFR’s latest poll on who you think will emerge as the team’s Week 1 starter and have your say in the comments section below.
Shough the Saints quarterback of the future
Billy Kilmer!!
I think Shough gets it by default. I don’t think that he’ll have much to work with, though. New Orleans could probably trade Rattler for peanuts (or could have earlier in the year), but they still have the issue of not having any veteran presence in the room and not enough real weapons to threaten a defense. Ramczyk could have been a huge boost if he had returned, and without him the line will have to improve without a wealth of veteran experience. Penning at guard is an experiment that the Saints will really want to work out, because anything helping the run game is going to boost the chances of whatever young QB gets thrown back there.
One big issue too is the lack of proven production at TE. Whomever starts will pretty much have to rely on an explosive but aging back in Kamara and a talented but undersized receiver in Olave to bail him out of tough situations that his lack of experience may put him in. So I don’t really expect much difference in terms of results from either Rattler or Shough. Haener I’m not impressed with at all, but I don’t think that New Orleans’ other QBs are necessarily light years ahead. They’re not practice squad level players like Haener, but in Rattler’s case, the offensive direction was bad last year that it’s really hard for me to blame him as a Day Three rookie with no first team reps and a terrible offensive environment. Can he recover from that? Don’t know, that damage could be permanent and he probably won’t get the chance. Given Shough’s injury history, though, you have to be prepared for the possibility.
One huuuge advantage in starting Shough is that he’s not polluted by last year’s rudderless offensive staff. Dennis Allen was a mediocre head coach, but given Pete Carmichael’s experience, I expect much more in terms of adapting to the revolving door of QBs that followed Carr’s injury. Of course, Loomis didn’t do them many favors in terms of skill position acquisition, but the planning seemed pretty haphazard throughout the year. Rattler would probably be better with Moore, but Shough wouldn’t be tainted by the failures last season. Moore kind of helps out in the lack of veteran QB department that I mentioned earlier, given his (relatively) recent experience as a QB and fairly direct transition into playcalling. I’d say that, should the Browns make the crazy choice to cut Flacco, he would be the perfect target for the Saints to sign.
Rattler had some tough outings when the OL was banged up. That Thursday night game vs Denver comes to mind when they just teed off on him. I think Shough has the better pedigree and was drafted by this HC. But NO is getting old in some key places and needs some young talent sooner than after.