Saints Have 'Under-the-Radar' Trade Chip Worth Moving

The New Orleans Saints are very deep in the quarterback room right now.

Obviously, this starts with Tyler Shough as the team's starter after a great second half of the 2025 season after he took over for Spencer Rattler. New Orleans still has Rattler in town as the team's backup with two more seasons left on his rookie deal. Also, the Saints signed Zach Wilson already this offseason to add more depth to the room. If the 2026 season were to start tomorrow, there would be enough in the room to feel comfortable.

While this is the case, the 2026 season doesn't start tomorrow. New Orleans could add another piece if the franchise saw fit. Also, it could trade someone away. For example, the Saints should consider a trade involving Rattler. Bleacher Report's Alex Kay listed him as one of the five most "under-the-radar" candidates to be on the move this offseason and he's absolutely right.

The Saints should trade Spencer Rattler this offseason

Nov 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) warms up prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

"The New Orleans Saints and Spencer Rattler appear to be headed towards a breakup," Kay wrote. "With Tyler Shough securing the starting role and Zach Wilson recently joining the team to compete for a depth role, Rattler looks to be the odd man out in the Big Easy. Rattler's tenure with the Saints has been a rocky one. Since joining the club as a fifth-round pick in 2024, he's started 14 games and won just one of them.

"While he shook off an abysmal rookie year and displayed some improvements early in the 2025 campaign, it ultimately wasn't enough to move the needle. Rattler ceded the QB1 role to Shough midway through the season and has little chance of regaining that role barring an injury. Wilson, a first-rounder in 2021 who has bounced around the league, is only a year older than Rattler and offers more upside in a backup role."

The biggest reason why the Saints should consider trading Rattler is the fact that he has two years left on his deal. There is real value in that. Rattler arguably showed in 2025 that he's a capable starting quarterback as well. Obviously, the Saints moved on from him to Shough in the starting lineup, but Rattler did show improvement in 2025 over his performance in 2024. He has a salary cap hit just over $1.1 million in 2026 and just over $1.2 million in 2027. In comparison, two other quarterbacks who have been talked about as trade candidates are Mac Jones and Tanner McKee. Jones has a cap hit of just over $3 million in 2026 and then will be a free agent afterward. McKee has a cap hit just over $1.1 million in 2026, like Rattler, but will be a free agent after the season.

If the Saints could find a trade partner for Rattler, they absolutely should make a move and then simply go out and sign another option to pair with Shough and Wilson.