All eyes will be on Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener when the New Orleans Saints open their preseason versus the Arizona Cardinals. There is no roster battle that’ll command the attention from the fans as this pairing, and this is just Round 1 in the three-game exhibition series.
The battle has the mixture of high stakes and and fan investment. Haener and Rattler are fighting to be the Saints’ backup quarterback. It’s the first time in a long time the Saints have had two young quarterbacks on the team at once. The stakes at hand aren’t the only reason the competition is the main event of the evening.
Rattler has captivated the Who Dat Nation since he was drafted in April. At one point, he was viewed as a first overall draft prospect. The fifth-round pick also stepped into a situation where fans were frustrated about quarterback play from the previous year. For many, Rattler represents a potential quarterback of the future should Derek Carr continue to struggle.
It’s not just the situation around him. Rattler has justified the hype about his ability in training camp. It is all irrelevant without a good preseason, and that begins tonight.
Haener isn’t going away easily, though. He’s also looked good in camp, and he isn’t going into his first preseason. Where Rattler is seeing NFL defenses for the first time, Haener is not.
If the team’s unofficial depth chart is to be believed, Haener is ahead. This likely is purely due to seniority, but it means Haener will get the second team reps in Week 1. The depth chart will be one to watch in this battle as the preseason unfolds.
