The quarterback room for the New Orleans Saints looks deeper than what it has been in quite some time. Veteran Derek Carr is the starter and hopes to expand on the promise that he showed late last season as he enters his second year with the team. Carr’s backups are inexperienced, but each full of promise and potential.
Jake Haener was a fourth-round draft choice out of Fresno State last season. Throughout training camp and preseason this year, Haener has looked far more comfortable and productive than he did as a rookie.
Rookie Spencer Rattler was a fifth-round selection out of South Carolina this spring. Rattler has quickly become a fan favorite and closed out the preseason on a strong note. He showed terrific arm talent throughout camp and flashed the potential of a possible draft steal.
Haener and Rattler have waged a close battle throughout camp for the primary backup job behind Carr. As of Monday afternoon, Saints coach Dennis Allen had not yet named his official number two quarterback. After recent news, that announcement carries more significance going into the regular season.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero was the first to report on Monday that NFL teams were informed that a revised rule change regarding emergency third quarterbacks was vetoed by the NFLPA.
The proposed rule revision would have allowed an unlimited number of game day practice squad elevations for a designated third/emergency quarterback. Those elevations would also not count against the active players for a team on game day.
With the NFLPA putting down the proposed rule revision, the third/emergency quarterback rule will revert to what it was during the 2023-24 season. This rule dictates that a third quarterback can still be designated by a team. However, that quarterback must already be on the active roster or otherwise be subjected to the limited number of game day elevations for a practice squad player during the year.
This rule proposal affects most other teams more than it will the New Orleans Saints. The Saints were unlikely eyeing either Haener or Rattler for their practice squad. Doing so would mean that they would have to release the player, then hope that they went unclaimed on waivers before re-signing them for the practice squad.
Rattler and Haener both showed their inexperience at times during training camp. They also both showed upside, promise, and the potential to perhaps even be a possible starter with further development. Their play made it extremely unlikely that either wouldn’t be claimed by a team if they were released by New Orleans in hopes of bringing them back to the practice squad.
Derek Carr has missed only two regular season starts because of injury over his 10-year career. He started all 17 games for the Saints last season but was knocked out of three contests early because of injuries. Veteran Jameis Winston replaced Carr in those outings.
Carr is one of the more durable quarterbacks in the NFL. It is extremely rare when a team doesn’t need to rely on the capabilities of a backup, whether to hold up for a short stretch, save a game, or even save a season.
Whoever gets announced as the New Orleans backup between Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener will also have a slightly better chance to develop with the team over the short term.
If Carr remains healthy and durable, there will be very limited reps for the other quarterbacks in practice during the week. The number two will get almost all of those with obviously the best chance at getting into a game if Carr gets nicked up.
Dennis Allen’s decision on the primary backup quarterback likely won’t have major ramifications on how the Saints will do this season. It does give either Rattler or Haener a significant advantage over the other in terms of immediate development and opportunity.