On the heels of the New Orleans Saints starting training camp, the most prominent question this summer will be who is going to emerge as the team’s starting signal-caller?
Jake Haener, Tyler Shough, and Spencer Rattler are all relatively young but lack NFL experience.
Haener and Rattler both largely struggled last season when they got their number called but had to operate a lackluster scheme with an offense marred by injury. The rookie Shough thus is the fresh alternative and current favorite, but even as a seven-year collegiate player, he still isn’t a refined product. Before the competition kicks off, the trio is already receiving some harsh hardware.
In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay ranked the New Orleans QB room as the worst in the league.
“Initially projected to work behind Carr for at least one season, Shough is now likely to be thrust directly into the starting lineup to sink or swim,” Kay wrote. “Rattler failed to win a single one of his six starts and posted a concerning 57.0 completion percentage, while Haener fared even worse in his lone appearance—connecting on just four of his 10 throws and tossing an interception before being yanked for Rattler in Week 15.”
If the Saints can just have some better injury luck, there’s a chance whoever wins the keys to Kellen Moore’s aggressive RPO attack can find success early on.
Rashid Shaheed showed some flashes last campaign, and the addition of Brandin Cooks provides some much-needed depth in the pass-catching corps.
With a shaky NFC South and the second-easiest schedule in the NFL, don’t be surprised if any of the three arms can turn some heads and put up some impressive numbers.
