Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore and Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon hug and talk before the game at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

3 Biggest Losers From Saints' Deflating Loss In Week 1

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 1:03 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints came into the season with very low expectations. They lost their quarterback, Derek Carr, to retirement. That left them scrambling for options at quarterback. After a heated battle, the team opted to start Spencer Rattler over Tyler Shough.

In Week 1, Rattler was impressive, but the Saints lost. This loss doesn't come back on the quarterback position, though. In fact, there were multiple other players to blame for the disappointing loss.

Who are the three biggest losers from the Saints' Week 1 loss?

WR Rashid Shaheed

The Saints were seemingly content with their wide receiver room coming into the season. Chris Olave is the top option with Rashid Shaheed being the No. 2 wide receiver. But Shaheed didn't get going in the first game of the season.

Instead, Rattler leaned on Olave and Juwan Johnson. As time goes on, Alvin Kamara will likely be worked in the passing game more often.

If Shaheed can't make plays down the field, he loses his importance to the team. The Saints need him to stretch the field, but he didn't do that in Week 1.

QB Tyler Shough

Shough is one of the bigger losers of the week, but he didn't even play a snap with the team. Shough was seemingly closer to taking the job from Rattler, but Rattler's impressive Week 1 performance likely widened the gap between the two.

If Rattler can continue to impress over the next few weeks, Shough might not make a real debut with the Saints this year. Shough is going to need Rattler to struggle if he wants a chance to play for the Saints.

WR Brandin Cooks/Devaughn Vele

The Saints have a problem at wide receiver, and it goes far beyond Shaheed.

The Saints have Brandin Cooks on the roster, and they added Devaughn Vele in an offseason trade. But neither pass catcher seemed to show up for Rattler in Week 1. Both proved that they're likely to be depth options at best.

If the Saints want to give Rattler a real chance to succeed, they need to find a solid wide receiver No. 2. Shaheed, Cooks, and Vele aren't the answer to the problem.

More NFL: 3 Biggest Winners From Saints' Disappointing Week 1 Loss

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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