Myles Simmons ,
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The Saints quarterback competition is officially over.
Head coach Kellen Moore announced in his Tuesday press conference that Spencer Rattler is the team’s starter to begin the season, with Rattler winning the battle over Tyler Shough.
While Jake Haener was a part of the competition, as he was listed as one of three starters on the unofficial depth chart, he was dropped from the roster earlier on Tuesday.
Moore said that Rattler and Shough made the decision hard because they were so close.
“Spencer Rattler is our starting quarterback ,” Moore said. “He’s done an awesome job this offseason. He’s just been consistent. He’s made some really good decisions throughout this entire process and his ability to make plays with his arm and his feet have certainly showed up. So, really, really excited about Spencer. He’s earned this opportunity. He’s going to do a tremendous job for us.
Rattler, 24, started six games last year after New Orleans made min a fifth-round pick. He finished the season having completed 57 percent of his passes for 1,317 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions in seven total appearances.
Moore cited Rattler’s experience as one of the factors in his winning the competition. Moore added that he doesn’t want to debate the QBs throughout the season, so the plan is to have Rattler as the starter and Shough continue to develop.
A second-round pick this season, Shough will begin the season as New Orleans’ backup.
“Love the development that he’s had over this entire offseason,” Moore said of Shough. “He’s done a number of things for the first time in his career, just navigating that, and I think that’s an important aspect when you’re a younger quarterback — to let the entire process play out. I thought he capped it off with just an excellent performance against Denver on the last preseason game. I thought he did a really, really good job.
“And so, I’m a big believer in just the importance of developing quarterbacks, developing them the right way. There’s a process for both of these guys [to] give them the space to develop. And I think we’ve got two guys that are going to have great careers for us.”
Rattler will lead the offense as the Saints open the season against the Cardinals on Sept. 7.
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