The New Orleans Saints plan to maintain their current quarterback lineup as they reduce their roster to 53 players by Sunday’s deadline. Tyler Shough is expected to lead as the starting quarterback, supported by Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson as backups.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Saints intend to keep Rattler on their initial 53-man roster. Although there has been trade interest in Rattler, the team plans to retain him as the backup to Shough.

Fowler shared on X, “The Saints received trade interest in QB Spencer Rattler but plan to keep him, per sources. Rattler will serve as quality depth behind Tyler Shough, barring a change.” Rattler was drafted by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Throughout his first two seasons, he appeared in 16 games and started 14, throwing for 2,903 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Rattler, 25, has gained support from his teammates. In January, Saints wide receiver Chris Olave expressed that Rattler deserves another chance to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. “Spencer’s a great quarterback — I don’t believe he’s a backup quarterback in this league,” Olave mentioned.

Olave further stated that in today’s environment, if issues arise, blame is often misplaced. He praised Rattler for his performance when starting and believes he deserves another opportunity to start.

Despite the support, it’s unlikely Rattler will start for another team this season unless there is a significant change.

Rattler initially earned the starter role for the Saints before the 2025 season. By October 28, Shough had taken over as the main quarterback. Shough recorded a 5-4 record as a starter last season, completing 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 yards, with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.