Saints quarterbacks keen on coach Kellen Moore’s approach to letting them compete

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — First-year Saints coach Kellen Moore made all four of his quarterbacks available for interviews after the second practice of training camp Thursday, reflecting how open their competition for the starting job is.

All between the ages of 26 and 24, and without a single NFL victory among them, the four QBs portray themselves more as comrades than competitors.

“We’re all kind of around the same age,” said Tyler Shough, a 2025 second-round pick out of Louisville who turns 26 in September. “We kind of have that great mindset of: We’re competing, but we’re having fun and we’re trying to get better.”

The early front runners appear to be Shough and Spencer Rattler, a 2024 fifth-round pick out of South Carolina whose six starts last season makes him the most veteran QB on the roster. They took first-team snaps during the first two practices of camp.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a toxic QB room at all. We’re in there having fun, chopping it up,” Rattler said. “I really enjoy working with those guys — and competing with them, too.

“If you don’t want to do that,” Rattler added, “you’re probably not built for this.”

Also in the mix are Jake Haener, a 26-year-old 2023 fourth-round pick our of Fresno State; and Hunter Dekkers, a left-handed, 24-year-old undrafted rookie who was signed after a tryout during rookie camp.

“This league does not care about your feelings,” said Haener, who also played for Moore’s brother, Kirby, at Fresno State.

“If they didn’t truly believe that I could be a guy that they think could win the starting job, they wouldn’t include me in it. Simple as that,” Haener said. “They wouldn’t just (do it to ) make me feel good about myself.”

Haener said he sees himself as an underdog — mainly because that approach has worked well for him.

“I just think I’m counted out for whatever reason — maybe not the most athletic, not the strongest, not the biggest,” the 6-foot-1 Haener said. “That’s been my biggest motivator my whole life.”

Dekkers, meanwhile, is seeking redemption after his involvement in a gambling scandal while he was at Iowa State got him banned from the NCAA. After sitting out the 2023 football season, he played last season for Iowa Western Community College.

“Whenever I get my chance on the field, it’s just to show what I can do; that’s all I can really do at this point,” Dekkers said.

“I went through the hardest time of my life the past two years,” Dekkers added. “I definitely had a lot of learning moments.”

The main lesson, Dekkers said, was not to “take what you have for granted at all, because you don’t know when it can be taken away.”

Moore, who was the offensive coordinator for the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles last season, is a former NFL quarterback himself. So are his offensive coordinator, Doug Nussmeier, and QB coach, Scott Tolzien.

Moore concedes that there are benefits to having a hierarchy at quarterback earlier than later, particularly as it pertains to developing consistency and chemistry on offense. But, given his offensive staff’s knowledge of the position, he also likes the idea of molding four young QBs as relative equals until, over the course of camp and preseason games, one distinguishes himself from the others.

“I’m fired up to just let those guys play it out,” said Moore, who is trying to turn around a club that went 5-12 last season and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020. “We’ll let the process take as long as it needs.”

Meanwhile, established members of the Saints’ offense express confidence that Moore has the right idea about this QB competition.

“The quarterback is the heart of the offense. Whoever’s back there, we’re going to have full confidence in,” receiver Chris Olave said. “Whoever’s back there is going to have to play ball.”

Notes: A brief scuffle broke out during Thursday’s practice. At the center of it were veteran receiver Brandin Cooks and defensive back Alontae Taylor. Cooks was a 2014 first-round draft choice by New Orleans who returned to the Saints this offseason after playing for other clubs between 2017 and 2024.