Saints at a Crossroads: Inside the Revolving Door of Quarterbacks in New Orleans

Illustration by Peter Townsend

The New Orleans Saints. Just five years ago, they finished in first place in the NFC South, with a record of 12-4. Since then, they haven’t made the playoffs, and their only winning seasons came in the form of two 9-8 finishes in both 2021 and 2023. As clear as it is that the Saints have endured a fall from grace, it isn’t too surprising as to why. Drew Brees announced his retirement in 2020. Since joining the Saints back in 2006, Brees was a 12x Pro Bowl selection, 7x NFL Passing Yard Leader, and a Super Bowl Champion and MVP. A player like Brees is simply generational. Not only was he putting up some of the best numbers in the league for multiple decades, he was instrumental in delivering the New Orleans Saints their only Super Bowl title to date. A figure like Brees not only has such a strong presence on the field, but also has an unthinkable cultural impact on the city. You don’t just find a replacement for a player like that. After Brees retired in 2020, someone had to step up and play QB for the Saints. Let's take a dive into some of the players who did.

Since Drew Brees hung up his cleats in 2020, the Saints have been living in a quarterback carousel that just won’t stop spinning. First came Jameis Winston, hoping for a fresh start after Tampa showed him the door to make room for Tom Brady. He spent his first year in New Orleans watching Brees’ farewell tour, then finally got his chance in 2021. For a moment, it felt like the Saints might’ve found their guy. That was until a knee injury ended his season before it ever really began.

The following year brought Andy Dalton, another short-term stopgap who managed one season before heading elsewhere. By 2023, the Saints thought they’d solved the puzzle with Derek Carr, and for a little while, it seemed like they had. He started every game, posted a winning record, and gave fans hope that stability had finally arrived.

But hope can be cruel in New Orleans. Carr’s injuries in 2024 derailed everything, forcing backups Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener into action as the season unraveled. Carr retired soon after, and just like that, the Saints were back where they started — searching for their next leader.

Now, all eyes turn to Tyler Shough, the rookie taken 40th overall in the 2025 draft. It’s a fresh start in New Orleans, but one question lingers over the Superdome: is this the next chapter in a turnaround… or just another spin of the revolving door?

Managing expectations after a legend like Brees leaves is never easy. Still, a passionate fanbase like New Orleans will always demand the best, and the Saints’ leadership knows they have to keep striving to deliver the highest-quality product on the field. Winston seemed like a good option at the time. He had shown promising signs in Tampa, and just needed to be given a proper chance. After that didn’t work out, the Saints went on to win now mode. Andy Dalton and Derek Carr were both over the age of 30 when they joined the team, however the Saints failed to replicate anything close to the Brees days. After this revolving door of quarterbacks, a chance to reset with a young core could be the best thing for the Saints right now. You can’t blame them for trying to find a quick fix- they’re a prestigious franchise with a strong attraction for any player. But, it seems as if they’ve realized that this hasn’t worked, and it’s time for a new chapter in The Crescent City.

Tyler Shough will turn 26 and Spencer Rattler will turn 25 this September. They even have the exact same birthday. That has to be a good sign. Not only do they both have youth on their side, but they both offer something different as well. Rattler already has a season of NFL experience under his belt, and this season will offer him a fresh start. Regardless of whether or not he’s chosen as starting QB, there’s less of a gap between him and Shough than there was before with him and Carr. For Shough, he’ll be looking for something to prove as well. With seven years of college experience with three different schools, he is a more mature and less risky option. After being bounced around in college, he’ll want to prove that he’s here to stay during his first season in the NFL. When you’re not sure who your number one quarterback is, you don’t want a huge gap in quality between the two, as you’re still in an experimental phase. Shough and Rattler have a small enough gap between each other, but with Rattler’s season of NFL experience, and Shough’s desire to prove himself on the big stage, they both bring different perspectives to the New Orleans Saints quarterback room.

Breaking into the NFL as a quarterback is never easy, but it sure helps when you’ve got weapons around you. In New Orleans, there’s a mix of youth and experience that gives this offense some intrigue. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed bring speed, hunger, and playmaking potential, while veteran Brandin Cooks provides the steady hand and savvy that can be priceless when the game tightens up. Add Alvin Kamara’s ability to take pressure off the passing game, and there’s at least a foundation here for something to build on.

That doesn’t mean it’ll be smooth sailing. This is still the NFC South, a division where nothing comes easy and every game feels like a street fight. There will be growing pains, missteps, and moments that test patience. But for the first time since Brees walked away, the Saints aren’t just patching holes with short-term fixes. They’ve invested in youth — a quarterback room fueled by hunger and a roster full of players eager to prove they belong.

It won’t be perfect. It won’t be painless. But there’s a different energy brewing in New Orleans, a shift in culture that feels less like treading water and more like moving forward. After years of uncertainty, Saints fans finally have a reason to believe the future might be worth waiting for.