It used to be so simple. For fifteen years, if you asked who is the quarterback for the Saints, you didn't even have to finish the sentence before someone shouted "Drew Brees." It was a default setting. A way of life in the Big Easy. But honestly? Since 2021, that question has become a bit of a loaded one, and the answer depends entirely on when you're asking and how much patience you have left for the salary cap gymnastics the front office loves to perform.
Right now, the guy under center is Derek Carr.
He’s the "franchise" guy, at least on paper and according to the massive contract he signed in early 2023. But being the quarterback in New Orleans carries a weight that is different from almost anywhere else in the NFL. You aren't just playing football; you're trying to outrun the shadow of a legend who literally helped rebuild a city after a catastrophe. That’s a lot for anyone, let alone a guy who spent a decade in the Raiders organization being told he was almost, but not quite, enough.
The Derek Carr Era: Stability or Just a Placeholder?
When the Saints brought in Derek Carr on a four-year, $150 million deal, the logic was straightforward. General Manager Mickey Loomis and former coach Dennis Allen didn't want a rebuild. They hated the idea of it. They looked at a roster with veterans like Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis and decided they were "one quarterback away" from winning a weak NFC South.
Carr is a fascinating study in NFL "middle-class" play. He has the arm. He has the stats—over 39,000 career passing yards doesn't happen by accident. But the transition to New Orleans hasn't been a fairy tale.
In his first season, things were... clunky. There’s no other word for it. You’d see him screaming at Chris Olave on the sidelines, or the Superdome crowd would break into a chorus of boos after a three-and-out. It felt like a bad marriage for a while. Then, something clicked in the final month of the 2023 season. He started lighting people up. He finished the year with 25 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions.
But stats in a dome can be deceptive.
The real question for Saints fans isn't just "who is the quarterback," but "is this quarterback actually taking us anywhere?" Carr is safe. He’s a pro. He’s also 33 years old and carries a cap hit that makes it very hard to fix the other holes on the roster. It’s a classic NFL "win-now" move that often leads to "stay-mediocre-forever" results.
The Taysom Hill Factor
You can't talk about the Saints' signal-caller without talking about the "Human Swiss Army Knife." Is Taysom Hill a quarterback? Well, Sean Payton certainly thought so. Dennis Allen thought so, mostly. Klint Kubiak, the new offensive coordinator brought in to modernize this unit, seems to view him as a weapon that just happens to throw occasionally.
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Taysom is the ultimate disruptor. He might take three snaps at QB in a goal-line package, then move to tight end, then run a jet sweep. It drives defensive coordinators crazy. It also drives fantasy football players into a blind rage.
Whenever the offense stalls under Carr, you’ll hear a segment of the fanbase—the "Taysom Truthers"—clamoring for more #7. They miss the chaos. They miss the 230-pound guy who runs like a linebacker and refuses to slide. But realistically, Hill is a gadget player at this stage of his career. He’s an essential part of the Saints' identity, but he isn't the future of the position.
Looking Down the Depth Chart: The Spencer Rattler Wildcard
This is where things get spicy. During the 2024 NFL Draft, the Saints took a flyer on Spencer Rattler in the fifth round.
If you followed college football, you know the name. He was the number one recruit in the country, the star of the Netflix show QB1, the guy who got benched at Oklahoma for Caleb Williams, and the guy who eventually redeemed his reputation at South Carolina. He has "it." The arm talent is undeniable. He can make throws that Derek Carr simply can't.
But he’s a rookie. Or at least, he was a rookie who entered a locker room full of established vets.
The buzz around Rattler during training camp was real. He wasn't playing like a fifth-round pick. He was poised. He was making plays out of structure. For a fanbase that is starting to get bored with the "safe" play of the veterans, Rattler represents a "what if?"
What if the Saints actually hit on a young, cheap quarterback?
If the Saints fall out of contention or if Carr goes down with an injury (and he’s been banged up a lot lately—concussions, AC joint sprains, ribs), the calls for Rattler will be deafening. It’s the most popular person in town: the backup quarterback.
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The Ghosts of Quarterbacks Past
To understand why people are so obsessed with who is the quarterback for the Saints right now, you have to look at the post-Brees hangover. It has been a revolving door since 2021.
We had the Jameis Winston experiment. That was a rollercoaster. One minute he’s throwing a 60-yard bomb, the next he’s throwing a pick-six while trying to play through a broken back. Literally. He played with four broken vertebrae in 2022 because he’s just built differently.
Then there was Trevor Siemian. Ian Book (fans still have nightmares about that Monday Night game against the Dolphins). Andy Dalton, who was the "Red Rifle" for a season and played surprisingly well but lacked any real ceiling.
This constant shifting has left the Who Dat Nation with a bit of a complex. They crave stability, but they also crave the high-flying, 40-point-per-game offense they grew up on during the Sean Payton years. Carr provides the stability. He doesn't necessarily provide the fireworks.
Why the System Matters More Than the Name
In 2024, the Saints finally moved on from the Pete Carmichael era of play-calling. Carmichael was Brees' right-hand man for years, but without Brees, the offense looked stagnant. It was like watching a band play their greatest hits without the lead singer.
They hired Klint Kubiak, fresh off the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree in San Francisco.
This change is massive for whoever is the quarterback for the Saints. The "Shanahan system" is famous for making quarterbacks look better than they are by using heavy play-action, pre-snap motion, and a strong run game. If Carr can adapt to this—throwing on the move, getting the ball out quick to Alvin Kamara and Olave—he might actually stick around.
But if the offense continues to look "meh," the front office is going to have to make some brutal decisions.
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The Salary Cap Elephant in the Room
We have to talk about the money. New Orleans treats the salary cap like a suggestion rather than a rule. They are constantly $30 million or $80 million "over" the cap, and they magically fix it every March by kicking the can down the road.
Derek Carr’s contract is part of that can-kicking.
Because of how his deal is structured, the Saints are basically married to him through at least the 2025 season. Cutting him would result in a massive dead cap hit that would essentially cripple the team's ability to sign anyone else.
So, when you ask who the quarterback is, the answer is "Derek Carr" not just because of his talent, but because of the math. They’ve bet the farm on him being "good enough."
What to Watch For Next
The Saints are in a precarious spot. They aren't bad enough to get a top-three draft pick, and they haven't been good enough lately to make a deep playoff run. They are stuck in the "middle," which is the scariest place to be in the NFL.
If you’re watching the Saints this season, keep an eye on these three things regarding the QB position:
- The Red Zone Efficiency: Last year, Carr and the offense were terrible inside the 20-yard line for the first half of the season. If they settle for field goals, the fans will turn on him fast.
- Health: Carr is tough, but he’s been taking a beating. The offensive line has been a major question mark, especially with injuries to Ryan Ramczyk and the departure of others. A quarterback is only as good as the five guys in front of him.
- The "Rattler" Meter: If the Saints are, say, 4-7 by Thanksgiving, do they bench the veteran and see what the kid has? It’s a move that would signal the end of the current era.
Practical Steps for Following the Saints QB Situation
If you want to stay updated on the ever-shifting landscape of New Orleans football, don't just look at the box scores.
- Check the Injury Reports: Carr’s shoulder has been an ongoing issue. If he’s limited in practice on a Wednesday or Thursday, pay attention to who is taking the first-team reps.
- Follow the Local Beat: Guys like Nick Underhill (NewOrleans.Football) or Mike Triplett provide way more context than the national media. They see every throw in practice.
- Watch the Offensive Line: If the Saints can't protect, it doesn't matter if it's Carr, Rattler, or the ghost of Archie Manning back there.
The identity of the Saints' quarterback is currently a veteran trying to prove he’s a winner and a rookie waiting in the wings for his "I told you so" moment. It’s a drama that plays out every Sunday in a stadium that expects nothing less than perfection.
For now, Derek Carr holds the keys. How long he keeps them depends on how many wins he can squeeze out of a roster that is aging but refuses to give up. The Superdome is a loud place, and right now, the cheers are still slightly louder than the whispers of change—but that can flip in a single four-interception afternoon.
Keep your eyes on the young guys, but respect the veteran's grit. That's the New Orleans way.