The New Orleans Saints' quarterback situation has been consistently inconsistent since Drew Brees' retirement in 2021, and 2025 is seemingly no different. They've rolled out eight options since their franchise icon called it a career. That alone should tell you everything about the organizational state of affairs under center over the past four forgetful, long years in the Big Easy.
Derek Carr was expected to provide New Orleans stability in the post-Brees era. However, his shocking decision to hang up the cleats earlier this offseason leaves Saints first-year head coach Kellen Moore in an unenviable spot. Suddenly, the team is searching for its ninth passer in five seasons, and the candidates leave much to be desired, to put it mildly.
With Carr no longer in the picture, Moore must make do with the throwers at his disposal. Second-round rookie Tyler Shough and rising second-year pros Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener have been competing for the starting job. But based on their training camp deployment thus far, the new sideline general may be in over his head, which Dallas Cowboys fans already knew.
#Saints QB rotation so far (1-2-3):
— John Sigler (@john_siglerr) July 30, 2025
Day 1: Rattler, Shough, Haener
Day 2: Shough, Rattler, Haener
Day 3: Haener, Rattler, Shough
Day 4: Rattler, Shough, Haener
Day 5: Shough, Rattler, Haener
Day 6: Haener, Rattler, Shough https://t.co/XpyDv49g4j
Saints HC Kellen Moore's training camp QB rotation highlights inexperience
Moore has taken an egalitarian approach to evaluating Rattler, Shough and Haener. They've taken turns rotating daily, splitting first, second and third-team reps evenly. While some may call this leaving no stone unturned or due diligence, others can rightfully see it as indecisiveness.
There's no denying that Moore is a proven play-caller who understands football's X's and O's. His success as an offensive coordinator in Dallas, and most recently with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, validates that notion. But he's ostensibly scrambling for a signal-caller solution, and the optics paint a picture of someone unsure of themselves.
Despite a strong track record as an assistant, Moore's never called the shots, and it shows. The uncertainty and flip-flopping between Shough, Haener and Rattler is probably one of the reasons Dallas didn't hire him to replace Mike McCarthy. He played a vital role in a Cowboys offense that paced the NFL in yards twice and scoring once from 2019 to 2021. Nonetheless, his deferential decision-making process depicts a dubious leader.
In March, Moore expressed excitement about working with Carr. Alas, that vision fell through rather quickly, with the latter out of the mix only a couple of months later. In other words, the former was dealt a brutal hand, yet his strategy to address the matter is puzzling.