The Saints used a first- or second-round pick on a quarterback for the first time in 54 years, but despite Derek Carr‘s retirement, Tyler Shough will begin his rookie season as a backup.
New Orleans has named Spencer Rattler as its Week 1 starter, the team announced Tuesday. The 2024 fifth-round pick battled Shough during a monthslong competition, this year’s last QB battle to wrap. This will now mean nearly a fourth of the league (seven teams) will be starting a 2024 draftee at quarterback to open the season. Rattler joins Michael Penix Jr., Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy in being set to start in Week 1 for the first time.
Rattler finished the preseason 30 of 43 for 295 yards with a touchdown and an interception; Shough was 36 of 54 for 333 yards — also adding one TD and one INT. The Saints cut their third-stringer, Jake Haener, earlier today. Haener had initially been part of the competition, but it became a Rattler-Shough matchup as the process wore on.
This decision is unlikely to inspire too much confidence among Saints fans, especially with a highly drafted rookie not doing enough to unseat a player who did not impress as Carr’s primary fill-in last season. Rattler lost each of his six starts, with the Saints losing five of those games by double digits. Rattler completed 57% of his passes for 1,317 yards as a rookie, closing the part-time starter year with a 4:5 TD-INT ratio. That said, Rattler was working with a cast of backup wide receivers — due to the season-ending injuries sustained by Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed — during most of his time replacing Carr.
Olave and Shaheed are back at work ahead of Rattler’s first Week 1 opportunity, and the Saints reunited with Brandin Cooks this offseason. They also brought in Devaughn Vele via trade, sending fourth- and seventh-round picks to the Broncos for a 6-foot-5 pass catcher who saw the second-most snaps among Denver wide receivers last season. This gives the Saints a solid top four a year after they were trotting out backup-level cogs for much of the season.
Kellen Moore gave Rattler the first preseason start, and that proved telling. Still, the ex-Oklahoma and South Carolina starter’s grip on the job might be tenuous. It stands to reason the Saints will want to see what they have in Shough, so a quick hook would not be surprising. The Saints are not projected to be a playoff contender, even with a host of proven veterans still rostered, and the team will be connected to what looks like a better QB class (compared to 2025, at least) ahead of next year’s draft. With the prospect of a first-round investment in a passer looming in 2026, Shough’s place on the team is a bit more interesting after today’s news.
Connected to a few arms in April, the Saints were among the QB-needy teams to pass on Shedeur Sanders twice. They fortified their O-line with Kelvin Banks Jr. at No. 9 and then added Shough at 40. Shough gained steam during the pre-draft process, impressing despite spending seven years in college — Shough is a year older than Rattler — and carrying a notable injury history into the NFL. But the former Louisville, Texas Tech and Oregon option will begin the season as a backup. This will stall the Saints’ evaluation of a soon-to-be 26-year-old rookie.
Three years remain on Rattler’s rookie contract. The Saints have not drafted a first-round QB since Archie Manning in 1971; it will be interesting to see if anything Rattler or Shough do this season could prevent the Saints from a higher-profile QB investment next year. For now, Rattler has the keys and will work behind an O-line housing four first-round picks (and standout center Erik McCoy, a former second-rounder).
Goodell “with the 1st pick in the NFL Draft the Saints select…’ Hopefully the paper bags are brought out again. Them or the Colts.
Nussmeier
If Manning declares, they’ll stay with the family history.
Manning won’t declare I think if saints are there.
I didn’t even think Shough was a better prospect than Rattler, and I especially don’t get the point of spending a second rounder on a dicey QB prospect when you’re a leading candidate to draft number one overall the next year. Quarterbacks drafted on day two have a high bust rate even when they don’t come over-aged with limited college success and a lot of injury history.
Quarterbacks drafted have a high bust rate. I fixed it for you.
It’s much, much higher on day two, with way fewer big success stories. There have been what, two good starting quarterbacks taken in the second round this millennium? And we’re talking about Dalton and Carr here.
Hurts is the best one, Geno is pretty good and it depends on how you feel about Kaepernick’s peak counting as whether he’s a bust or not, but yeah it’s bleak. Most teams want to at least trade up to the late first to prove it’s “their guy”. Second round QB is just a half measure.
Whoops yeah, forgot the best one and two of the other best. Good catches.
This one feels more like Jimmy Clausen. A year later the Panthers were taking Cam first.
lol what are you talking about? This Millenium would include Drew Brees, Andy dalton, Russell Wilson, geno smith, Derek Carr, Jalen hurts, and that’s just day 2 picks. Even Lamar was 1 pick away from being day 2. What about day 3/UDFA? That would include Brady, Romo, Russell Wilson, Kirk cousins, Purdy. There’s also plenty of busts in the top 10, so why not take a shot at a guy who could be your guy in the 2nd round?
Maybe Shough isn’t the guy, but that’s not a reason not to take a 2nd round stab at him and if it doesn’t work draft your guy this year. I don’t think Shough is gonna win you a Super Bowl, but I do think he’s going to do better than all the haters’ expectations this year. He projects to be very similar to Derek Carr, ironically.
Cool man. Now that’s out of how many? And no, you don’t get to count Lamar for being an almost.
When Derek Carr was Tyler Shough’s age, he had already completed over a thousand passes in the NFL. Shough didn’t even *attempt* that many over the course of seven years in college.
another very questionable offseason by Mickey Loomis. He also just traded the first pick of day 3 of the draft in exchange for a 28 yr old WR.
Because you still want folks to have a reason to come to the stadium and spend money. I agree they are likely back to picking a QB next year, but this year is still fluid, and you have to show the fans and your players that you are still trying to win this year.
Isn’t that what got them into this mess? They also spent on Young and Reid and traded for a receiver for some reason. How much do they need to prove to fans in what fans know is a non-contending year?
Because a lot of people aren’t hardcore fans. They hear the Saints not doing anything to compete this year, they automatically stay home. Always a balancing act, because for most this is just entertainment.
Casual fans are going to show up because they heard the Saints have a 26 year old rookie second round quarterback riding the bench?
Not if you sell it that way. They can spin it as drafting a young gunslinger, come to the stadium and watch him grow!
In all honesty, I wouldn’t be surprised if both Moore and Shough aren’t with the team next year. They are going to be bad, and Moore seemed like a, “well he’s the guy who’s left” choice as head coach.
Saints fans –
What’s this mean for Olave? Which QB suits his abilities better?
I think Olave can be fine with anyone provided he’s able to play. He’d be better off with a better quarterback than either. I think this hurts Shaheed more than it affects Olave, since Rattler is less of a deep threat.
I thought the same in terms of Shaheed. Neither of these guys have amazing arm power from what I can gather and Shaheed is obviously best at that.
And that’s the sound of Saints fans hitting “sim to offseason”
3-14 record in 2025
Sure seems like they could have done better hear….