With Derek Carr stepping away this offseason, the QB1 decision is more than just a depth chart update. It’s a franchise reset point, the kind of choice that will shape the Saints’ identity for years to come. And so far, we all assumed it’d be Tyler Shough who’d take up that sweet number one spot. However, Kellen Moore made us eat our own words after he named Spencer Rattler the QB1 ahead of the season, three days after that 28–19 loss to Denver. And Rattler’s reaction? Humble, with loads of confidence as the side salad.

After edging out the Saints’ QB derby, Rattler didn’t give a canned rookie line. He sounded like someone who finally exhaled after months on the tightrope: “This is something you work towards your whole life. This is something I’ve dreamed of since a kid. It’s here now, and I don’t wanna waste it,” he said.

Rattler’s not pretending the job just fell in his lap. Eighteen months ago, he was a fifth-round flyer, pressed into six rookie starts, and now he’s back with the keys again. After the announcement, he kept it blunt: “I worked my tail off to get here, and now it’s mine.”

And the man certainly made his case. Especially in preseason. In three preseason games, Spencer Rattler stacked enough tape to tilt the room his way: 30-of-43 passing for 295 yards with a TD and a pick, nearly 70% completions, and 6.9 yards per throw. Add 41 rushing yards on seven carries, and you’d understand exactly why he’s QB1.

No, it’s not just about preseason. He showed glimpses of brilliance last year, too. Rattler’s rookie trial by fire came in 2024, when injuries gutted New Orleans’ offense and left him throwing to a skeleton crew. He started six games and played a half in another, finishing 130-of-228 for 1,317 yards, four scores, and five picks. This is when the Saints were missing Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and other key pieces, by the way.

But we’d be lying if we said he clearly deserved to be the starter. Tyler Shough made his case and pushed him every step of the way. 36 completions on 54 attempts (66.7%) for 333 yards, one score, and one pick. He added three scrambles for 23 yards and a rushing touchdown, flashing the dual-threat traits that made him intriguing out of college.

So why did Rattler get the nod? Moore kept it simple: he trusted the body of work. The staff valued Rattler’s cleaner decisions, the way he kept drives on schedule, and his ability to escape pressure when plays broke down. Moore admitted the battle with Shough “was really close,” but pointed to Rattler’s six rookie starts in 2024 as the edge. And that’s a good enough reason. But Spencer would have to start the season without a key piece.

Kellen Moore confirms bad news for Saints’ offense

If Spencer Rattler’s promotion was the headline grabber, Moore’s follow-ups were the gut checks. He confirmed Taysom Hill won’t be available out of the gate. He has landed on the PUP list, and former first-rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been cut loose. Losing Hill strips Moore of a safety valve he’s leaned on in camp. The do-everything chess piece.

Hill has never been just a “tight end.” He’s the Saints’ curveball. Last season alone, he logged 39 carries for 278 yards with six touchdowns on the ground and added 23 catches for 187 yards. And that production came almost entirely in spots where defenses had to guess wrong. Think short yardage, red-zone gadgets, tempo shifts. Take him out of the mix for the first month, and Moore loses his Swiss-Army mismatch piece.

Cutting Clyde Edwards-Helaire thins out the backfield in a different way. He was never expected to carry volume, but his value was in the margins. A former first-rounder with playoff reps, he gave Moore a veteran who understood zone looks, could catch out of the backfield, and steady things if Kamara missed snaps.

Without him, the Saints lose a plug-and-play insurance policy and now lean harder on unproven depth behind their star. And if Rattler really wants to “not waste it,” he would need all the help he could get.