Since Drew Brees retired during the 2021 offseason, there have been nine different quarterbacks that have started for the New Orleans Saints. So, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at those who have been under center the past 5 years and rank them from worst to best.
9. Ian Book
Ian Book started just one game under center for the black and gold in Week 16 of the 2021 season. The game was on Thursday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins and quickly became a 20-3 defeat in the Superdome.
Book finished his Saints career with an 0-1 record as a starter, accumulating 135 passing yards and 2 interceptions. This includes a pick six on the opening offensive drive of the game. I was physically present to witness this game, which is why I ranked Book dead last.
8. Jake Haener
Another Saints quarterback with a lone start under his belt. Jake Haener was at the helm for the Saints’ Week 15 matchup against the Washington Commanders in 2024 and ended up getting benched at halftime in favor of Spencer Rattler. Rattler led an “almost comeback,” and even rallied the Saints into a position of being a 2 point conversion away from tying the game. In the end, Jayden Daniels just made one too many plays to overcome. The Saints lost and Haener finished the day with 49 yards and a pick. The only reason he ranks above Book is because, as a fan, I just personally remember this game more fondly and for whatever reason, I remember that Dolphins game stinging way worse.
7. Taysom Hill
I love Taysom Hill. He is a Saints legend but not a great starting quarterback though. However, he did actually end up finishing with a 3-1 record as a starter for the Saints. His total statline for those games included 815 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 4 picks on 55% completion. Easily the highlight of this era was that awesome 9-0 win over Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15 of 2021. That game was a certified “Who Dat Nation Classic,” as the defense put on a masterclass, which has nothing to do with Taysom Hill’s performance. Nonetheless, Hill will forever be able to say that he is 1-0 against Tom Brady as a starting quarterback.
6. Trevor Siemian
Trevor Siemian came in as the back up tasked with filling the Jameis Winston sized hole in the 2021 squad after the ACL injury. Siemian came in to relieve Winston during the Week 8 game against the Buccaneers. The Saints still managed to take care of business with Siemian and improved to 5-2 (another classic Saints game). However during the following weeks, Siemian would go 0-4 as a starter. The once promising season totally collapsed under his watch as Siemian threw for 995 yards with a 10 to 3 TD/INT ratio over that stretch.
5. Spencer Rattler
Going into this list, Spencer Rattler had the most volatile variance for where he could end up. On one hand, he went 1-13 as the Saints starter over the course of the 2024 and 2025 seasons. On the other hand, it truthfully was not his fault. He was in a bad situation and his eye test was a lot better than 1-13 so No. five feels right for him. It does also help that he is one of my personal favorites. To this day, I have never seen a man with a better arsenal of Saints hats. Rattler always had the coolest caps on his head for every interview. He made some big time plays in those 14 starts, especially given the circumstances. The bottom line is though, this is a results driven business and 1-13 is unacceptable. Rattler had 2768 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions on 63.5% completion through his 14 starts. His Saints story may not be finished however, because he is still on the roster going into 2026.
4. Andy Dalton
Wow. Who else just totally forgot about this? The Red Rifle led the black and gold into 14 games all during a rough 2022 season. For most fans, the narrative going into the year was that it was supposed to be the “Jameis Winston Show,” but Dennis Allen clearly had other plans. Dalton went 6-8 while throwing for 2871 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 9 picks on 66.7% completion. He provided a solid veteran presence at the position for what we viewed as a transition year at the time, with it being year one for Dennis Allen.
3. Derek Carr
To be honest, I’m not really thrilled about the idea of typing a whole paragraph about this one. We all know exactly what 2023 and 2024 entailed and it was not fun. While Carr’s numbers hold up pretty well against these other guys, the vibes were always… really bad to put it mildly. It also doesn’t help that we gave him a $150 million contract. There are expectations that come with that but at least he retired early though. I have nothing against Derek Carr personally as he seems like a stand up guy. However, as a Saints fan, this is an era that I would like to forget. Carr finished his Saints career with a 14-13 record while throwing for 6023 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions on 68.2% completion.
2. Jameis Winston
Winston is one of my all time favorite NFL players ever. He is charismatic, hilarious, and just easy to root for. In 2021, Winston was playing the best football of his career under Sean Payton. For a player known for turning the ball over, he boasted a remarkable 14 to 3 TD/INT ratio and led the Saints to a 5-2 start. Fans will always wonder what could have been if not for his injury. Winston concluded his time in New Orleans with a fake kneel to give running back Jamaal Williams a touchdown on the final play of the 2023 season (while also simultaneously running up the score on that team in Atlanta). That moment cemented how I will view him forever. You’ve got to love Jaboo! Winston went 6-4 as the Saints starting quarterback throwing for 2028 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions on 61.1% completion.
1. Tyler Shough
Admittingly, this is very premature. However, the bar is low when it comes to Saints quarterbacks since Brees left. The main reason I put Shough at No. 1 is vibes. The Who Dat Nation has not felt this alive in a long time. That is not only because Shough played great as a rookie, but also because of the way he has taken on the responsibility of being the Saints QB1. He has embraced the city of New Orleans and the fanbase. He is a true leader, incredibly likeable and has ignited a much needed spark behind the team. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. As a rookie, Shough went 5-4 as a starter while accumulating 2384 yards, 13 total touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. This includes leading the Saints to a 4-0 record in the month of December, but you already knew that.
Do you agree with the assessment of the rankings? What would you change? Let us know in the comments below.
