The New Orleans Saints find themselves in uncharted territory as they enter the 2025 season with perhaps the most inexperienced and unproven quarterback room in franchise history. Following Derek Carr’s shocking retirement due to a shoulder injury in May, the Saints are left with a trio of young signal-callers who have combined for exactly zero NFL wins as starters.
The Grim Reality: PFF’s Bottom-Barrel Assessment
Pro Football Focus’s John Kosko previewed PFF’s starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2025 season. Dead last was Saints QB Tyler Shough. The assessment was particularly damning, with Kosko noting that the Saints quarterback room, featuring Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener, is the worst in the league, positioning the Saints at the bottom regardless of the starting quarterback.
This brutal evaluation reflects the harsh mathematical reality facing New Orleans: Derek Carr’s retirement leaves the Saints with three quarterbacks, who have a combined record of 0-7 as NFL starters. When Carr missed time with injuries last season, Rattler started six games and Haener started one. The Saints went 0-7 in those games, with both Rattler and Haener averaging 5.8 yards per pass.
Tyler Shough: The Rookie with Seven Years of Experience
At the center of this quarterback competition stands Tyler Shough, the 25-year-old rookie who brings an unusual combination of inexperience at the professional level and extensive college seasoning. Shough was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, making him the franchise’s highest-drafted quarterback since Archie Manning was taken No. 2 overall in 1971.
Shough’s college journey reads like a football odyssey. Starting all 12 regular season games, he completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns to just six interceptions in his final season at Louisville. However, his path to NFL readiness was far from smooth. He has experienced three major injuries during his college career, including a broken fibula at Texas Tech that required surgery.
The veteran presence in a rookie’s body has caught the attention of Saints leadership. Saints starting guard Cesar Ruiz touched upon the notion that the club should start Shough simply because it made him the 40th overall pick of this year’s draft. “I think just because we drafted a quarterback super early doesn’t mean you have to push him in there and play,” Ruiz explained.
Despite the cautious approach from teammates, early reports from OTAs have been encouraging. Shough was reportedly 7/8 (88%) during the 7-on-7 portion of practice, with multiple reports highlighting his arm talent and accuracy in team drills.
Spencer Rattler: The Embattled Sophomore
Spencer Rattler enters his second season carrying the weight of a winless rookie campaign. Rattler started six games and appeared in seven during his rookie season and completed 130 of 228 passes (57 percent) for 1,317 yards and four touchdowns, with five interceptions. He was sacked 22 times and ran for 146 yards on 18 carries. New Orleans was 0-6 in his starts.
The former Oklahoma and South Carolina star arrived in New Orleans as the first quarterback to come off the board since the Denver Broncos selected Bo Nix at No. 12 overall. The string of 137 selections between QBs is an NFL draft record.
Despite the struggles, Rattler showed flashes of promise, particularly in his record-setting rookie performance. In his rookie year, Rattler completed 130 passes for 1,317 passing yards (the most by a rookie since Archie Manning in 1971), four touchdowns, and five interceptions. His best moment came in relief, when with the Saints trailing the Commanders 14-0 at halftime, Rattler rallied the Saints to four scoring drives in the second half, and his two-point conversion pass attempt with no time remaining was incomplete in a 20-19 loss.
Recent evaluations haven’t been kind to Rattler’s prospects. Damian Parson of Bleacher Report evaluated six major quarterbacks from the class of 2024 and placed them on a 2025 confidence meter, which ranges from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Spencer Rattler would get a score of two.
Jake Haener: The Forgotten Third Option
Jake Haener represents perhaps the most intriguing wild card in this competition. Haener was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round (127th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft, but his NFL journey has been marked by setbacks and limited opportunities.
The former Fresno State star’s rookie season was derailed before it began. In early September, it was revealed he failed a drug test earlier that summer, testing positive for a banned performance enhancing substance. Haener was suspended the first six weeks of the season.
When Haener finally got his chance to start, the results were disappointing. Starting in one game, he would come in as the backup when Carr would be hurt during games. Haener struggled during his one start, which was also his first of his career, appearing to have the yips, and was pulled after only one quarter. In 2024, he would complete 18 passes for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Despite the limited sample size, the Saints saw enough in Haener to trade up for him in the draft. At 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds, Haener is not the prototypical NFL quarterback. But as a franchise that had so much success with a shorter passer in Brees, (Haener’s favorite quarterback and the reason he wore No. 9 in college) they have every reason to believe that their fourth-round investment could work out in their system.
Expert Analysis: A Franchise in Free Fall
The national media consensus on the Saints’ quarterback situation ranges from pessimistic to apocalyptic. Yahoo Sports ranked the Saints No. 31 in their offseason power rankings, noting: “With Derek Carr’s surprising retirement, New Orleans arguably has the worst quarterback situation in the NFL.”
The mathematical brutality of the situation becomes even clearer when examining the broader context. Oddsmakers aren’t big believers, either, as the Saints have their lowest win total (5.5) since 1998 and are tied for BetMGM’s worst Super Bowl odds at 250-1.
Perhaps most damning is the lack of standout talent across the roster. Among the Saints’ projected starters on offense and defense, none ranked in the NFL’s top 10 at their position last season in Pro Football Focus’ grades.
The scheduling gods have shown no mercy either. The Saints and Titans were the only teams to not get one standalone game, whether it was a prime-time game, international game or any other game in an exclusive television window. That is telling.
The Competition Heats Up
Despite the gloomy projections, the actual competition has been surprisingly competitive. Head coach Kellen Moore has emphasized that everyone has a “blank slate” going into this offseason. Whatever happened last year doesn’t matter anymore.
The early returns from OTAs suggest a legitimate battle. On Thursday, Rattler worked with the first-team offense and Shough with the second team. Third-year quarterback Jake Haener, who is dealing with an oblique strain, watched from the side.
Veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks has embraced his role as a veteran voice in the competition. “Yeah, absolutely it should bring the best out of you,” Cooks told reporters Thursday. “It’s fun seeing those guys compete. All three of them are having a great spring. So, it’s going to be fun to watch that competition.”
The Nightmare Scenario
While finishing with the worst record in the NFL might actually be a blessing in disguise for a franchise rebuild, analysts warn of a more troubling outcome. A much worse outcome is Tyler Shough not looking promising enough to be a future franchise quarterback but playing just well enough for the Saints to win a few games. That could knock them out of a top-five pick in next year’s draft.
The stakes couldn’t be higher with the 2026 draft class potentially featuring transformational talent. Imagine this: The Saints go 5-12 because they drafted Shough, rather than going 3-14 or worse with Spencer Rattler, and next April they watch someone else draft Arch Manning after Manning has a tremendous season for Texas. That’s not just a nightmare scenario, that’s something the Saints would regret for a generation.
A Silver Lining in the Darkness?
Despite the overwhelming negativity surrounding the Saints’ quarterback situation, there are small reasons for optimism. The team has invested heavily in surrounding weapons, with Wideout Brandin Cooks (named by Pro Football Focus as the Saints free agent signing with the most upside) will join running back Alvin Kamara, wide receiver Chris Olave and reliable tight end Juwan Johnson, giving whoever takes over for the retired Derek Carr at quarterback some reliable weapons.
Additionally, Shough’s unique profile as an older rookie with extensive college experience could provide unexpected stability. Despite playing six seasons up to this point, an injury redshirt after previously taking advantage of a normal redshirt and the COVID year allowed him a seventh year, giving him a level of game experience that most rookies lack.
The Road Ahead
As the Saints prepare for training camp, the quarterback competition represents more than just a battle for a starting job—it’s a referendum on the franchise’s immediate future. With a defense in transition and salary cap constraints limiting their options, the Saints need their quarterback room to exceed all expectations just to achieve mediocrity.
The competition is expected to continue throughout the summer, with Moore indicating that that rotation will continue throughout the summer. Early betting odds favor Shough, with FanDuel Sportsbook had Shough as a -310 betting favorite to start New Orleans’ regular-season opener versus the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 7. Rattler was second on the list at +210 odds, while Haener was a massive +4000 underdog to win the gig.
Summary
The New Orleans Saints enter the 2025 season with what many consider the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. Following Derek Carr’s unexpected retirement, the Saints are left with a trio of young quarterbacks—Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener—who have combined for a winless 0-7 record as NFL starters.
PFF’s rankings place Shough dead last among projected starters, while the Saints’ quarterback room is widely considered the league’s worst regardless of who wins the job. The 25-year-old rookie Shough, despite his extensive college experience across three schools, faces the challenge of becoming just the second rookie quarterback to start Week 1 for the Saints since Archie Manning in 1971.
Spencer Rattler, coming off a winless rookie campaign, and Jake Haener, who struggled in his lone start, round out a group that has experts predicting historically bad results for the franchise. With win totals set at just 5.5 games and 250-1 Super Bowl odds, the Saints face a potential crossroads season that could determine their direction for years to come.
While some see hope in Shough’s arm talent and the team’s offensive weapons, the consensus remains that the Saints are facing one of the most challenging quarterback situations in recent NFL history. The competition will continue through training camp, but regardless of who wins the job, expectations remain historically low for a franchise that dominated the NFL just a few years ago under Drew Brees.
