Dennis Allen said it’s still a competition between Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler. They’re going to get reps and develop both players.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) August 27, 2024
The biggest battle of New Orleans Saints training camp is extending into the regular season. Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler were battling for who will be the backup quarterback behind Derek Carr all throughout training camp and the preseason.
Through three games, each player had their ups and downs. It was a consistently close battle that Dennis Allen says still isn’t over. He surprisingly chose not to say who won this battle.
This competition going into the regular season isn’t a huge surprise, though. Of all the battles in training camp, this was the one with the least amount of urgency. This is a battle for the 2024 backup and, most importantly, for the lead in the race to be the heir apparent.
This is why Allen is comfortable getting both reps and focusing on development. That being said, it will be interesting come Week 1 who suits up. Allen can choose to not make a declaration now, but it will be revealed very soon.
The Saints aren’t keeping three quarterbacks active on a weekly basis. Either Haener or Rattler will be active and the other will be the Saints’ emergency quarterback. The player who is active should be looked at as the leader in the competition, but it’s too soon to say who that will be.
The beginning of the regular season will force New Orleans to slightly tip their hand. Haener vs. Rattler may not be concluded, but someone is in the lead.
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