The growing trend of NFL teams keeping their quarterbacks out of the preseason has reached the point where more than one-third of starting quarterbacks did not take a single snap in this year’s preseason.
The reasons were different for different teams: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Colts quarterback Daniel Jones are recovering from season-ending injuries. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson haven’t played in the preseason in years, across multiple coaching staffs. Rams coach Sean McVay is perhaps the most cautious coach in the league when it comes to avoiding preseason injuries, so of course reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t play.
But the result is the same: If you’re tuning into a preseason game, you’re increasingly likely to see backup quarterbacks exclusively, and if you see a starter at all, it will typically only be for a series or two.
Here’s the full list of teams that didn’t play their starting quarterbacks at all this preseason, via Mike Reiss of ESPN:
Seahawks: Sam Darnold.
Patriots: Drake Maye.
Cowboys: Dak Prescott.
Ravens: Lamar Jackson.
Steelers: Aaron Rodgers.
Colts: Daniel Jones.
Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence.
Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes.
Eagles: Jalen Hurts.
Lions: Jared Goff.
Saints: Tyler Shough.
Rams: Matthew Stafford.
Saints Clips
The Saints waived fourth quarterback Hunter Dekkers on Saturday, leaving Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson behind Tyler Shough.
The team received trade interest in Rattler, but plans to keep him, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
If the Saints do indeed keep three quarterbacks on their roster, the question then becomes who will serve as the backup on game day.
Rattler, a fifth-round pick in 2024, competed for the starting job a year ago and ended up starting the first eight games of the season. The Saints went 1-7, and Shough replaced him.\
In two seasons, Rattler has passed for 2,903 yards with 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
He was 30-of-44 for 262 yards with an interception in three preseason games. Rattler also ran for 30 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
The new contract recently signed by Saints receiver Chris Olave comes with an important caveat.
The deal includes a guarantee waiver in the event Olave suffers a concussion for which he cannot be cleared to play.
The waiver also applies to the blood clot he suffered in 2025.
Here’s the language from the contract: “Player has been informed by the Club Physician that he has the following pre-existing conditions: Concussions and Respiratory Pulmonary Embolism. Should Player. in the sole opinion of Club Physician (which shall be final and binding}, become physically unable to perform the services required of him by his NFL player contract as a result of the aforementioned pre-existing condition(s) or deterioration or aggravation of the aforementioned physical condition(s) and as a result thereof, after consulting an independent third party specialist. the Club Physician. in his/her sole opinion (which shall be final and binding). will not clear Player to play professional football. then all injury guarantees described herein shall immediately become NULL & VOID.”
As of 2024, Olave had suffered four concussions during his time in the NFL. The situation caused him to contemplate retirement.
Olave already has earned a $35 million signing bonus. The remaining $55 million in guarantees would potentially be voided, in the event that Olave cannot secure medical clearance to play due to a concussion or a blood clot.
Brandon Staley is heading into his second season as the Saints’ defensive coordinator, but his previous experience as an NFL head coach has him thinking about what a second chance in that spot might look like.
Staley earned a reputation for being ultra-aggressive while going 19-15 in his first two seasons as the head coach of the Chargers, but the weight of some of those decisions misfiring and a blown 27-point lead against the Jaguars in the playoffs put him on the hot seat when the 2023 season started badly. The Chargers wound up firing him after Week 15 and Staley spent the 2024 season with the 49ers before joining Kellen Moore in New Orleans.
Staley said “as tough and impossible as it was at the end” of his time with the Chargers, he feels he has to use them the right way to grow as a coach. He shared what he thinks he would do differently if given another opportunity to run a team.
“I would have a lot more poise and composure in terms of knowing when to push and when to pull,” Staley said, via Jeff Howe of TheAthletic.com. “I was trying to push it, and I was trying to get us there as fast as we could. When you have more experience, you know when to do both of those things. You just have a better feel and understanding, and that’s in all aspects of being a leader. That’s why the next time, I just have so much more experience now — I didn’t have any back then. I could have done a better job. I know for a fact I would do a better job just with more turns at it, living through more — little decisions and big decisions.”
There’s high hopes for the Saints heading into this season thanks to a strong finish to last year after handing the offensive reins to quarterback Tyler Shough. If Staley’s defense can help push the team even further this fall, he could get a chance to expand on his new coaching philosophies with teams looking for a new head coach.
Lions running back Isiah Pacheco has picked up another injury.
Pacheco sprained his MCL earlier this month and head coach Dan Campbell said at the time that the team thought Pacheco would be able to return for Week 1. On Thursday, Campbell said that Pacheco is now dealing with a back injury and that his status for the opener is unclear.
“I can’t give you anything definitive,” Campbell said at a press conference.
Campbell did say that the knee is not “a concern” when it comes to Pacheco’s availability.
The Lions met with free agent Kareem Hunt earlier this week and any move to add options in the backfield could be a sign that they don’t think Pacheco will be ready to go against the Saints.
The Saints brought a member of their 2025 secondary back to the team on Wednesday.
They announced the signing of Michael Davis to the 90-man roster. They also signed defensive back David Long.
Davis only played four defensive snaps for New Orleans last season, but he was a regular on special teams in his 11 appearances. He spent the 2024 season with the Commanders and was a starter for the Chargers for most of the previous five years.
Davis has 367 tackles, eight interceptions, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries over his entire career.
Long spent a week with the Giants earlier this month and has played in 80 games for the Panthers, Colts, Packers, Raiders and Rams.
Saints running back Ty Chandler will miss the entire season with a knee injury, coach Kellen Moore confirmed Tuesday.
Chandler was injured during the preseason game against the Rams.
With Alvin Kamara sidelined with an MCL sprain and Devin Neal dealing with a hamstring injury, the Saints traded for running back Zamir White this week.
Chandler spent the past four seasons with the Vikings but played only three games last season.
The Saints placed Chandler and tight end Moliki Matavao on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday.
Moore offered better news about wide receiver Chris Olave, who left practice early after a hard landing on a deep pass. Moore said Olave is “all good.”
The Saints signed defensive tackle Zxavian Harris as an undrafted rookie on May 1, and he was on the Saints until they waived him on August 8. Now Harris plays for LSU, and Saints head coach Kellen Moore is trying to wrap his head around how that’s possible.
Harris was one of 16 players who re-gained NCAA eligibility as a result of a Louisiana judge’s ruling. Moore, whose brother Kirby Moore is the head coach at Washington State, thinks football needs eligibility rules that are clearly established and don’t change every time a player takes the NCAA to court.
“I think it’s unfortunate that there’s no regulation to anything right now. My brother coaches college football so I follow it closely, just watching everything college football is going through,” Moore said.
Moore said he wants players to have every opportunity but also wants someone to step up and provide some leadership in college football.
“I think there’s a challenging balancing act to this, and hopefully there can be some leadership and some regulations developed here shortly,” Moore said.
Asked if he ever thought he’d hear that a player who was in training camp with the Saints would play that season in college, Moore answered, “No. It’s a unique college football world we live in right now.”
Saints cornerback and special teams contributor Rejzohn Wright will miss the entire 2026 season.
New Orleans head coach Kellen Moore confirmed that Wright is out for the season with a hip injury that will require surgery.
Last year Wright played exclusively on special teams for the Saints, but he was competing in training camp for a role on defense as well. Instead, he’ll miss the year.
The 25-year-old Wright first became known to football fans when he was featured on the Netflix college football documentary series Last Chance U. He was originally an undrafted free agent with the Panthers out of Oregon State in 2023. He is the brother of Jets cornerback Nahshon Wright.
Wright has been with the Saints since 2024 but spent the whole 2024 season on injured reserve and will now spend the whole 2026 season on injured reserve as well.
The Saints made a trade for Zamir White on Monday and injuries in their offensive backfield appear to be the reason why they made the made.
The list of injured backs grew to include Ty Chandler in Saturday’s loss to the Rams. Chandler suffered a knee injury and head coach Kellen Moore said on Monday that Chandler was looking at possibly missing time.
A report from Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football suggests it could be quite a bit of time. Underhill reports that the team fears it is a serious injury.
Chandler’s injury comes at a moment when Alvin Kamara is sidelined by a sprained MCL and Devin Neal is battling a hamstring injury. Kendre Miller also missed extended time with a back injury before returning recently.
Miller joins White and Audric Estime as the team’s available options behind Travis Etienne at the moment.
