The biggest position battle of the offseason for the New Orleans Saints was the battle for backup quarterback. Derek Carr returned as the starter, second-year quarterback Jake Haener and rookie Spencer Rattler both had their eyes on the QB2 spot. Now, with training camp and the preseason complete, the battle is still undecided.
Both guys had ups and downs in the preseason, but it was Rattler who finished things on a high note and to many, that seemed to be the deciding factor. However, head coach Dennis Allen made it clear that other things like workouts were also taken into consideration. Ultimately, the Saints are just days away from their Week 1 game and fans and media members don’t know who the backup quarterback is.
On the team’s first released roster for the regular season, New Orleans listed Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler as backups. That certainly didn’t make anyone happy, as everyone wants to see a real decision. Fortunately for the people who want to see a decision, the Saints will soon be forced to make one.
For official games, the league requires teams to designate a backup quarterback to wear the headset, meaning a decision must be made before kickoff.
They must name a backup quarterback for headset purposes on Sunday, per league rules. The idea that players don’t know who is who isn’t realistic.
I think they just want both of them to compete and keep the intensity high by not declaring and leaving the door open.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) 3 September 2024
Based on how things have gone so far this offseason, New Orleans will likely downplay the decision and insist that both young quarterbacks are still playing on par. If Haener is on the headset, the team will likely say the decision was made because he has a little more experience. If it’s Rattler, New Orleans would likely say something about how they want the rookie to get more experience by hearing everything.
Basically, the Saints will do anything to keep their cards close to their chest. If New Orleans continues to refuse to comment, the QB2 will not be known until one of them is called into the game.
