The New Orleans Saints are entering the 2025 season with low expectations from everyone outside of their building.
While first-year head coach Kellen Moore has publicly talked about getting things on track quickly and veteran players like Brandin Cooks have publicly stated that people are sleeping on the Saints in 2025, it’s difficult to see New Orleans making any kind of significant splash this year.
The Saints are coming off a (5-12) season and after finding a creative way to restructure his contract, were hit with the surprising news that their starting QB, Derek Carr, was retiring a few weeks ago.
Moore will have to try to string together wins with an aging roster and the Saints didn’t have the salary cap space to add any premier talent this offseason.
With Carr suddenly hanging up his cleats for good, the New Orleans Saints are now in a predicament when it comes to their starting QB position in 2025. As it stands, Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and second-round pick Tyler Shough will be competing for the starting job.
Haener is almost certainly a second-string NFL quarterback at best and Rattler struggled when thrown into the fire during his rookie campaign in 2024. Shough had wildly mixed reviews from NFL talent evaluators before the NFL Draft, but he feels like the kind of quarterback that could benefit from sitting behind a veteran for a season before getting thrown into the gauntlet as the starter.
It’s not hard to understand that rookie QB’s success in the NFL is often tied directly to the situations they land in, and while Moore has a solid track record for getting the most out of his quarterbacks, the Saints lack the offensive talent that would help Shough thrive in year one.
Bleacher Report believes the Saints should make a move to sign free agent QB Carson Wentz, a former first-round pick who helped lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory.
In seven contests (six starts) as a rookie last season, Spencer Rattler threw for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions, completing 57 percent of his passes. He's the most experienced starter in the Saints' quarterback room.
Perhaps rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough, Jake Haener and Rattler bring out the best in one another in a training camp battle. Still, the Saints should add veteran competition to challenge the young candidates. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Haener is dealing with an oblique injury. Wentz can push the young talent at the position. He could also provide a spark in the passing game with his big arm and ability to extend plays.