Saints announce Spencer Rattler will start preseason finale, a sign he has inside track on Week 1 job

The New Orleans Saints are the lone NFL team yet to announce their Week 1 starter at quarterback. But if the depth chart for Saturday's final preseason game is any indication, second-year pro Spencer Rattler could be the favorite.

Rattler will start the team's preseason finale, Saints head coach Kellen Moore announced Thursday.

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Moore did not make any declarations on whether Rattler will start in Week 1, but he did tell reporters he planned to play as many starters as possible during the contest.

Moore also outlined the order in which the quarterbacks will play, with Rattler being followed by rookie Tyler Shough. Jake Haener will serve as the third quarterback during the contest.

That certainly seems to hint at Rattler having the inside track on the starting job. As long as he doesn't completely face-plant Saturday, it seems likely he'll get the Week 1 starting nod.

After selecting Rattler in the fifth-round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Saints pushed the former South Carolina quarterback into action during his rookie season. Rattler appeared in seven games — six starts — in relief of Derek Carr last season. In those games, Rattler completed 57 percent of his passes, with four touchdowns and five interceptions.

The Saints weren't content to install Rattler as the full-time starter after the season, and selected Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Both players have put up similar numbers thus far in the preseason. Through two games, Rattler has completed 71.4 percent of his passes, with one touchdown against one interception. Shough also has one touchdown and one interception, and has completed 70.6 percent of his passes.

With both players posting similar stats, there's room for either Rattler or Shough to walk away with the Week 1 job. But given his experience — and the fact that's he's starting Saturday's game — Rattler should probably be considered the favorite to get the regular season job for now.