New Orleans Saints
By Ross Jackson
Just five practices in, a lot has been learned about each of the New Orleans Saints quarterbacks as they battle it out for the starting job. Some strong development has been made by each passer, but there are also areas that could use refinement as they continue to vie for NFL snaps.
Quarterbacks Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough and Jake Haener have all made big plays throughout the early days of camp. But the deciding factor for who wins the starting role won’t come down to flashes. What will reign supreme in this battle is continued progress and overall reliability.
As each passer works hard to cross those benchmarks, here are select strengths and areas for refinement that have been on display as the first week of camp winds down. These aren’t intended to represent each passers only strength and blemish, but instead those that are most outwardly defined for a spectator.
Spencer Rattler
Strength: Processing Speed
What’s great about this for Rattler is that at one point, processing speed was an area for improvement. But now, with seven games of NFL action, six starts and his focused offseason work, it’s become his most glaring strength. Moving through progressions, reacting to the defense and getting the ball out quickly are all elements of Rattler’s game that have seen a noticeable step forward.
Refinement: Consistency
No shocker here as this could be the refinement area for each passer. But for Rattler, it really is the most notable imperfection. Rattler’s days have ranged from being perfect in passing to turning the ball over with only a little in-between. As camp goes along, if he can show a bit more consistency, it’s going to be hard to deny him the starting job out the gate.
The reason this stands out so much isn’t because Rattler is wildly or uncontrollably inconsistent. But instead it’s because he will have to find a way to achieve that consistency without dialing back his willingness to be aggressive. Remaining aggressive but reliable would make Rattler a strong starting candidate.
Tyler Shough
Strength: Arm Talent
Shough’s arm talent has stood out as the best in camp, consistently delivering deep throws with pinpoint placement that leave little room for defenders and plenty of opportunity for his receivers. Sometimes even his incompletions are a thing of beauty when working along the boundary deep. His arm is special.
7 on 7’s, Tyler Shough to Juwan Johnson. @WWLTV pic.twitter.com/4cZk62mrXs
— Doug Mouton (@DMoutonWWL) July 28, 2025
Refinement: Dialing Back the Risk Aversion
As fantastic as his arm is, it’ll only ever be as good as he feels free to use it. Shough needs to take more risks and play more aggressively. He often looks a little too timid, holding on to the football and passing on some potential completions opting for second-action passes and scramble drills hoping to find more separation in the secondary.
I’ve said the words risk-averse a lot when it comes to Tyler Shough. This and the next post were back-to-back reps with no pass rush. #Saints pic.twitter.com/rift7d6QdA
— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak) July 28, 2025
Former Saints wide receiver Lance Moore observed that the rookie will eventually adjust to the fact that “being open” in the NFL looks a lot different than it did in college. While throws to receivers with multiple yards of separation were often available in college, an open window in the NFL may only be a matter of a yard or simply a step. Once that settles in for Shough, this should get better.
Jake Haener
Strength: Confident Decisiveness
Confidence has never been an issue for the third-year passer and thankfully for him, that has remained consistent. It’s truly one of his best traits. He drops back, reads and gets the ball out as soon as he feels good about a window of opportunity, giving his receivers a chance to make the play. It’s his best quality when it comes to keeping out of trouble with pressure.
Refinement: The Deep Ball
Haener is right to clap back at the negative notions of his arm strength. He can absolutely push the ball downfield. The trick for him is that the ball often hangs a little too much, forcing receivers to stop or work back to the ball instead of being able to run under it or, when appropriate, play to an outside shoulder on the sideline.
Isaiah Stalbird with the PBU on the pass from Jake Haener.@WWLTV pic.twitter.com/zdDyJpG8jt
— Doug Mouton (@DMoutonWWL) July 28, 2025
His deep passes will get there when he puts everything in it, but defenders often get a chance to make a play on the ball, being thrown into the action. There are times where he can hit those passes beautifully, but it’s a question of consistency with the entire deep pass operation rather than arm strength in a vacuum.
