Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
METAIRIE, La. — After a day off that followed an intense and eventful 126-play scrimmage practice, the New Orleans Saints throttled things down a bit on Tuesday. The team focused on some additional third down situations while still rotating passers through first-and-long as well as second-and-short scenarios. This felt a lot like a beginning to game prep, which was likely always the intent with a preseason game on the way this weekend.
Quarterback Battle
Something looks to have settled in on the quarterback battle, or at least has begun to do so. Second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler was again with the first team to start practice while Tyler Shough manned the twos and Jake Haener ran with the third team. For the last split-field portion of practice, the team flipped Shough to the first team and Rattler to the second. This was likely about getting them both reps with their potential rotation of plays during the preseason game.
Interestingly, Haener received one fewer period than both of his competitors and did not advance from third team reps on the day.
Rattler Rep Charting
First Series of Team Drills (Drive starters)
- First-and-10 (own 35): Rattler runs right
- Second-and-five (own 40): Rattler incomplete to Rashid Shaeed (Isaac Yiadom in coverage), play action pass, a little high due to pressure by Chase Young
- First-and-10 (own 35): Alvin Kamara run middle
- Second-and-five (own 40): Rattler complete to Shaheed (Jayden Price nearest) crosser for a big completion deep
Second Series of Team Drills (Variable down and distance)
- First-and-10 (own 35): Rattler incomplete to Chris Olave, throw behind on the crossing pattern or slant, Alontae Taylor PBU, almost intercepted for what could have been a pick-six
- First-and-15 (own 30): Rattler complete to Kamara swing right
- Second-and-eight (own 37): Rattler complete to Kamara over the middle
- Third-and-seven (own 38): Rattler scramble right, Demario Davis with pressure, Cam Jordan gives chase
Third Series of Team Drills (Variable down and distance)
- First-and-10 (plus-40): Cam Akers run middle, Davon Godchaux with the run stuff
- First-and-10 (plus-40): Akers run right, Godchaux with the run stuff
- Second-and-three (plus-33): Rattler play action rollout, Shepherd and Bresee with pressure
- Third-and-four (plus-34): Rattler scramble, pressure from all over
Fourth Series of Team Drills (Focused third down work)
- Rattler scramble
- Rattler complete to Bub Means
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire run left
- Rattler complete to Edwards-Helaire (D’Marco Jackson in coverage) left flat, Jackson quickly converges
- Rattler incomplete to Chris Tyree (Price in coverage)
- Rattler complete to Tyree
- Rattler scrambles up the middle for what looked like it could have been a good gain
- Rattler incomplete to Donovan Peoples-Jones (Rejzohn Wright in coverage) deep left side of the field, out of bounds
Rattler’s biggest play:
Rattler to Shaheed 🙌#Saints pic.twitter.com/TgrN09naLj
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 5, 2025
Shough Rep Charting
First Series of Team Drills (Drive starters)
- First-and-10 (own 35): Shough complete to Olave (Quincy Riley in coverage) big completion along the right sideline, sidearm throw from Shough
- Second-and-five (own 40): Kendre Miller run right on what looked like a creative triple option, Shough passed on the jet sweep handoff, ran right and pitched to Miller
- First-and-10 (own 35): Shough incomplete to Akers (Jonah Williams in coverage) left sideline, Williams’s contact knocked the ball free from Akers
- Second-and-five (own 40): Edwards-Helaire run right
Second Series of Team Drills (Variable down and distance)
- First-and-10 (own 35): Shough complete to Akers (Jackson in coverage) immediately stopped on the right side by Jackson
- First-and-15 (own 30): Shough runs right on the keeper
- Second-and-eight (own 37): Shough incomplete to Mason Tipton on the right sideline, Chris Rumph II with pressure
- Third-and-four (own 41): Shough incomplete to Kevin Austin Jr. (Riley in coverage), snap was wide right, Shough did a good job of corralling it
Third Series of Team Drills (Variable down and distance)
- First-and-10 (plus-40): Miller run middle
- First-and-10 (plus-40): Miller run middle, stuffed by Williams
- Second-and-three (plus-33): Shough incomplete, throwaway. Likely sacked by Khalen Saunders. We’ll count the throw since the team played through.
- Third-and-four (plus-34): Edwards-Helaire run left, nice cut upfield on the run, well blocked up ahead
Fourth Series of Team Drills (Focused third down work)
- Kamara run left
- Shough incomplete to Kamara (Jordan Howden in coverage), Howden pass breakup
- Kamara run left
- Shough complete to Dante Pettis on a crossing route
- Shough intercepted by Howden over the top of a pass intended for Olave, great play by Howden to take away the ball which sailed over the target
- Shough complete to Cedrick Wilson Jr. right sideline, bobbled and caught in bounds
- Shough complete to Chris Tyree (Riley and Demario Davis in coverage) left side
- Shough incomplete to Moliki Matavao right side on crosser
Shough’s Biggest Play:
Shough to Olave 🤝 pic.twitter.com/gYEhCigrAh
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 5, 2025
Haener Rep Charting
First Series of Team Drills (Drive starters)
- First-and-10 (own 35): Edwards-Helaire right left, John Ridgeway III stop
- Second-and-five (own 40): Haener complete to Matavao (Jonas Sanker in coverage)
- First-and-10 (own 35): Akers run right
- Second-and-five (own 40): Snap exchange fumbled, Haener recovered
Second Series of Team Drills (Variable down and distance)
- First-and-10 (own 35): Haener incomplete to Means (Jackson in coverage), out-breaking route to the right side, just off target
- First-and-15 (own 30): Haener incomplete to Matavao (Jackson in coverage), crosser left side
- Second-and-eight (own 37): Haener incomplete to Shaheed (Jaylan Ford in coverage), Ford with the pass breakup over the middle
- Third-and-eight (own 38) Haener complete to Matavao (Terrell Burgess in coverage), crosser to the right sideline, first down
Third Series of Team Drills (Variable down and distance)
- First-and-10 (plus-40): Edwards-Helaire run left, nice cut again with great blocking up front
- First-and-10 (plus-40): Edward-Helaire run right
- Second-and-three (plus-33): Haener complete to Means (Wright in coverage) crosser, deep. May have been a touchdown.
- Third-and-three (plus-33): Haener complete to Marcus Yarns out of play action, first down
Haener’s Biggest Play:
Jake Haener to Bub Means, but my camera bumped into @RLeCompteTV @WWLTV pic.twitter.com/HuZLwMNEZE
— Doug Mouton (@DMoutonWWL) August 5, 2025
Quarterback Rep Distribution:
-
- Rattler: 20
- Shough: 20
- Haener: 12
Haener also received the developmental drill snaps after practice.
Passing Stats (Running Totals):
- Rattler: 6/10 (89/124, eight passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, four interceptions)
- Shough: 5/12 and an interception (72/120, five passing touchdowns and four interceptions)
- Haener: 14/7 (82/119, five passing touchdowns, one interception)
Interesting Quarterback Rotation:
With Rattler and Shough both seeing first and second team reps while Haener spent his time only with the third team, it seems to indicate that the battle may be narrowing down to just the two front-runners. Or, in the least, it signals a potential set up for the upcoming preseason game. In any case, this day combined with the scrimmage where Haener also did not receive first-team reps, seems to telegraph a shift in the competition. Once the team arrives in California and gets back to the practice field on Thursday, this will become much more clear.
Rotation Abundant Elsewhere
Several players saw chances to rotate in with the first team units on Tuesday. Offensive lineman Will Clapp Jr. took snaps as first-team center, Howden took a number of first-team reps which led to possibly his best practice as a pro and Riley took some reps in place of starting cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
These were just about players getting more opportunities and lightening up some of the veteran players’ snaps rather than being injury related.
Attendance and Injury Updates:
The only non-PUP players that were not seen at Tuesday’s practice were running back Devin Neal and wide receiver Moochie Dixon.
Head coach Kellen Moore said that Neal will be out for a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile Dixon is managing a less-severe shoulder injury.
Safety J.T. Gray returned to practice after missing a few days with a hamstring issue, and tight end Juwan Johnson had a light day as he continues to work back from his groin injury.
Charlie Smyth Goes 3/5
Smyth’s camp has been a tough one and the struggles continued on Tuesday. He went 3/5 including a miss from extra point distance to start his day.
He had makes from 39, 45 and 45 yards. His misses came from extra point distance and 51 yards out.
He is now 16/27 in camp, falling behind his competition in Blake Grupe, who is 26/27.
Trio Of Punters Widdling Down:
The Saints had all three punters take the field, getting several reps in each. This will be a position to watch as long snapper Zach Wood spilled the beans that one of the three won’t be going with the team to camp in California, for which it departs on Wednesdays.
Punter Hangtimes:
Matthew Hayball: 4.40s, 4.00s, 4.78s, 4.72s, 3.88s, 4.12s, 4.00s (Avg. 4.27s)
James Burnip: 4.78s, 4.88s, 4.78s, 4.03s, 4.09s, 4.25s, 4.31s, 4.56s (Avg. 4.46s)
Kai Kroeger: 4.44s, 4.09s, 3.87s, 4.28s, 4.53s, 4.31s, 4.38s (Avg. 4.27s)
Returners on the punt drills included Shaheed, Peoples-Jones, Pettis, Price and Ugo Amadi.
Up Next:
The Saints will travel to Irvine, California on Wednesday and begin practices on Thursday afternoon. The team will shift to an afternoon schedule in order to allow it to progress throughout the day from install to walkthrough and then practice. Practices will be held at the University of California, Irvine as they were last year.
Moore said that on Friday, the team will hold a “scrimmage-like” practice in order to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Moore did say though that the team won’t pour on another 126-play day like it did on Sunday.
Revisit Previous Observations:
DAY ONE – Rattler perfect in passing
DAY TWO – Defense takes control
DAY THREE- Rattler, offense bounce back
DAY FIVE – Defensive line thrives
DAY SEVEN – Biggest quarterbacks plays of camp
DAY EIGHT – Best practice on Airline Drive
