
Saints QB Spencer Rattler to start preseason opener
Head coach Kellen Moore confirmed the news following Friday's practice in Irvine, Calif.
Rookie Tyler Shough and third-year pro Jake Haener also will take snaps as the Saints search for a starter to replace the retired Derek Carr.
"Super excited, awesome opportunity," said Rattler, 24. "Excited to get to start the game. ... Feel like it's been a good camp. ... We're looking forward to it."
Rattler, a fifth-round pick out of South Carolina in 2024, went 0-6 as the Saints' starter during his rookie campaign. He completed 57.0 percent of his passes for 1,317 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions.
New Orleans has home preseason games against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 17 and the Denver Broncos on Aug. 23 before opening the regular season against the visiting Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 7.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Man United 'plot £50m swoop for Carlos Baleba alternative' - despite Brighton midfielder 'showing interest' in Old Trafford move
Manchester United have reportedly identified a cheaper alternative to Carlos Baleba should they miss out of their priority target before the close of the summer transfer window. The Red Devils have significantly bolstered Ruben Amorim 's attack this summer with the additions of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko for fees of £62.5million, £71m and £74m respectively. United have now turned their attention to the middle of park, with Brighton 's star midfielder Baleba, 21, understood to be the primary target. Baleba, who has spent two seasons as a regular starter for the Seagulls after arriving from Lille in 2023, is expected to demand a hefty transfer fee worth between £100m and £120m this summer, given he still has a minimum of three years left on his Brighton deal. According to The Sun, Manchester United are now considering a £50m move for Sporting Lisbon captain Morten Hjulmand, who was once a favourite of Amorim's during his time in the Portuguese capital. The newspaper claims that Hjulmand, who is expected to cost half the fee Baleba would demand, would only be pursued if United miss out on the Cameroonian altogether. Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed on Wednesday that United are ready to step up their pursuit of Baleba after hearing the player is keen to make the switch. But Amorim is also a strong admirer of the Danish midfielder and has previously lauded his 'monster mentality' and leadership qualities, having appointed him captain. Baleba helped Brighton finish eighth in the Premier League last season, just five points off fifth-placed Newcastle, who secured Champions League football. The Seagulls, who have made a habit of selling the likes of Joao Pedro, Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for huge profits, are less keen to sell Baleba this summer given he had an impressive season. According to The Athletic, a move for the youngster is 'improbable' unless United are able to secure a series of lucrative sales before the window closes at the start of next month. Only Liverpool and Chelsea can boast a higher spend among the Premier League's money-spinning corridors this summer. One Manchester United fan has set up a GoFundMe page to try and raise funds for a Baleba bid, though in four days it had only raised £501 of its £120m target. In defensive midfield, United currently have Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, and Toby Collyer as options, while Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo can also be deployed in the centre of the park in their 3-4-3 formation. One Manchester United fan set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Baleba's transfer fee The Brighton star revealed in a previous interview that reigning Ballon d'Or holder Rodri is an inspiration of his as he continues to make strides in his budding career. 'I want to win the Ballon D'or like Rodri,' Baleba said. 'His success has opened the door for midfielders like us to believe we can win the Ballon d'Or one day.' The youngster was born and raised in Douala - also the birthplace of four-time African Player of the Year Samuel Eto'o.


Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Report: RB Matt Breida to retire after seven seasons
August 14 - Veteran running back Matt Breida plans to retire after seven NFL seasons, ESPN reported on Thursday. Breida, 30, spent time in training camp with the San Francisco 49ers last year but was released prior to the season. He did not play for an NFL club in 2024. Per ESPN, Breida also declined a requested workout by the Miami Dolphins during this offseason. He rushed for 2,652 yards and nine touchdowns in 98 career games for the 49ers (2017-19), Dolphins (2020), Buffalo Bills (2021) and New York Giants (2022-23). He also had 120 catches for 935 yards and six scores. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Southern. --Field Level Media


Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The inside story of Benjamin Sesko's move to Man United: Agent reveals why £73.7m star picked Man United - and what REALLY happened with Arsenal talks
Benjamin Sesko's agent has revealed how Manchester United beat their rivals to the signing of the Slovenian star as he opened up on one of the summer's biggest transfer sagas. Sesko joined United for £73.7million from RB Leipzig to spearhead Ruben Amorim 's new £200m frontline, following the arrivals of Matheus Cunha from Wolves and Brentford 's Bryan Mbeumo. Newcastle had tabled a bid of just shy of £70m, while the 22-year-old had also been linked with a move to Arsenal. Sesko, who could make his debut against the Gunners in United's Premier League opener on Sunday, has signed a five-year deal at Old Trafford. And his agent, Elvis Basanovic, has now given behind-the-scenes details on the transfer. Asked what happened with Arsenal, Basanovic told the 24UR programme on Slovenian station POP! TV: 'It's hard to say exactly. Whenever a deal doesn't go through, there are always several factors. In the end, everything has to align for it to happen. 'What's important here is that Benjamin's wish, for years now, has always been United. And for United, he was even willing to take a pay cut to make the move happen. 'As his agent, I wanted to make that wish come true.' Basanovic also detailed the lengths United went to in order to get the deal over the line with Sesko, who scored 21 goals in all competitions for RB Leipzig last season. 'We were in contact with Man United's negotiations director, Matt Hargreaves, who was a ruthless negotiator,' he said. 'In the last 10-15 days, they followed my every step, and the talks took place in three different countries and six different cities. On United's interest in Sesko seven years ago, Basanovic added: 'We visited their academy when he was just 15. 'Even then, we were planning this move for the future. At the time, we didn't want him to go [when he was] so young. 'In recent years, we stayed in contact but we told them our plan - two years in the Bundesliga, to prepare for the future in the Premier League. 'We're delighted the plan worked.' Newcastle had offered more to RB Leipzig but the player's preference to join United was decisive in finding a quick resolution to the situation. Since moving to Germany from Red Bull Salzburg Sesko has scored 39 goals and added eight assists in 87 games. United had stayed tight-lipped throughout the pursuit of the Slovenia international, who has been capped 41 times by his country, allowing Newcastle to dictate the early stages of the bidding process. Newcastle had identified Sesko as a replacement for Alexander Isak, who is focused on joining Liverpool this summer. Arsenal meanwhile opted to sign Viktor Gyokeres, who had been of United's key targets, for £64m.