Kellen Moore to Fix Spencer Rattler’s Offense With Hall of Famer’s Son After Major Roster Decision

The Saints needed a spark. For years, their offense has looked stale, stuck in neutral, living off memories of Drew Brees instead of building something new. Enter Kellen Moore. For the first time in his career, he’s not just calling plays. He’s running the whole show. A first-time head coach with a reputation for creativity, Moore’s challenge is clear. Fix an offense that hasn’t scared anyone in years and unlock the promise of quarterback Spencer Rattler.

That’s why the name Brenden Rice suddenly matters. As insider Jordan Schultz reported on September 1, the Saints are working out the son of Jerry Rice, the greatest wide receiver to ever lace them up. Brenden was a seventh-round pick of the Chargers in 2024, a late flyer who never found traction in Los Angeles. But go back to his USC tape and you see flashes. 644 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023, a second-team All-Pac-12 nod, and a knack for showing up in the red zone when the lights were brightest.

Rice is built differently from the guys the Saints already have. 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, a 36.5-inch vertical, and 4.50 speed. He doesn’t separate clean like Chris Olave, but he doesn’t need to. He wins with size, with leverage, with the ability to go up and take the ball when everyone else is falling down. For a quarterback like Rattler, who’s going to miss some reads and misfire under pressure, that kind of safety net is everything.

The NFL hasn’t seen the best of Rice yet. Three games, no stats, and a release from the Chargers last week, that’s all the resume shows. But pedigree matters. Confidence matters, opportunity matters. And the Saints have all of that on the table right now. They don’t just need another receiver. They need a statement, a player who can shift the offense’s energy and give Moore’s system a chance to breathe.

This isn’t just about a workout. It’s about a coach trying to prove he belongs, a quarterback searching for rhythm, and a wideout desperate to carve his own name out of his father’s shadow. The Saints have lived in the past for too long. With Moore, Rattler, and maybe Brenden Rice, they’re finally trying to write something new.

Kellen Moore takes Spencer Rattler decision

“Rattler’s done an awesome job this offseason. He’s just been consistent. He’s made some really good decisions throughout this whole entire process, and his ability to make plays with his arm and feet has certainly shown up.” That’s how Kellen Moore explained his choice to ride with Spencer Rattler as QB1, a move that instantly defines his rookie year as head coach.

On paper, the decision makes a kind of sense. Rattler, for all his failures last season, 0–6 as a starter, at least owns NFL snaps, knows the locker room, and has survived live fire. In Moore’s system, continuity matters. He needed someone who could process quickly, make the right reads, and at least give his offense a foundation, even if shaky. In a summer where neither quarterback truly separated, the safer play was familiarity.

But it’s not without risk. The Saints drafted Tyler Shough 40th overall, their highest quarterback pick in over 50 years, precisely to reset this position. Shough showed flashes of upside in camp, the kind of arm talent that hints at long-term solutions. And the more daring choice, the one some fans wanted, was to let Shough learn by fire, even if it meant growing pains.

Other options existed, too. New Orleans could have pursued a veteran stopgap through the trade market, someone to stabilize while Shough developed. They could have doubled down on their ground game and leaned defense-first, letting the quarterback battle simmer. Instead, they’ve planted their flag on Rattler, betting that consistency and experience can outweigh the scars of last year.

It’s a bold call. It might buy Moore time if Rattler steadies the ship. Or it could fast-track disaster if those six losses were only the beginning. Either way, the Saints’ season and Moore’s credibility now runs through Spencer Rattler’s arm.