The New Orleans Saints closed the 2025 regular season with a narrow 19-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18, a result that snapped a surprising late-season surge under first-year head coach Kellen Moore.

While the defeat officially ended the Saints’ year, it also reignited conversation around one of the franchise’s most concerning issues — the quarterback position. Midway through the season, Moore made a pivotal decision to elevate rookie Tyler Shough to the starting role, replacing Spencer Rattler.

That move helped stabilize the offense and sparked a four-game winning streak, but it also pushed Rattler to the sidelines after a challenging stretch as the starter. Despite the Saints going winless in the seven games Rattler appeared in, six of which he started, there remains a strong belief inside the locker room that the former fifth-round pick still has a future as an NFL starter. And, no one voiced that belief more strongly than wide receiver Chris Olave.

“I want to say one more thing about Spencer. he's a great quarterback,” said Olave, via NOF. “I don't believe he's a backup quarterback in this league. In this world nowadays, people always want to point the finger at somebody when something's going wrong. I feel like Spencer has done a great job when he was back there starting at quarterback. He deserves another opportunity to be a starting quarterback in this league. I don't feel like there's few quarterbacks that's better than him. And the way that he handled himself when he got benched, I'm always going to be a Spencer fan. He never talked down on nobody. I never felt like it was his fault, just a way he handled this, just wish best for him.”

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Drafted in the fifth round in 2024, he was thrust into action early and struggled behind an inconsistent offense. Rattler’s 2025 season was far from smooth. After being benched in Week 8, he missed additional time due to injury and was inactive for the season finale against Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Shough, selected in the second round of the 2025 draft, solidified himself as the Saints’ quarterback of the future. With Rattler under contract for two more seasons, his role in New Orleans appears uncertain.

Still, Olave’s comments highlight how highly Rattler is regarded internally. With a shaky 2025 QB draft class looming beyond top prospect Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, Rattler could emerge as an intriguing option for teams seeking competition or depth.