Jul 30, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) talks to New Orleans Saints quarterback coach Scott Tolzien during training camp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Saints QB Battle Ramps Up; Rookie Expected To Start?

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have quite an intriguing quarterback battle on their hands. The Saints opted to draft quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Shortly after this decision, injured veteran Derek Carr retired.

This left Shough in a quarterback room with youngsters Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. Rattler and Haener both saw the field for the Saints last season as Carr missed time with injuries and they were rather ineffective. Still, newly signed head coach Kellen Moore is seemingly ready to have a battle between all three young signal callers to find the best option going forward.

Adam Holt of A to Z Sports recently suggested the Saints were leaning toward Shough as the starter over Rattler and Haener. Holt pointed to each player's usage in Week 1 of the preseason as the clear indicator to this idea.

Saints seem to lean toward Tyler Shough as next starting QB

"Shough did get a bulk of the playing time for New Orleans. That felt notable," Holt wrote. "He was fairly efficient through the air as well and pushed the ball downfield a bit more consistently than either Rattler or Jake Haener. Shough was 15/22 for 165 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Rattler was 7/11 for 53 passing yards.

"Regardless, Shough seemingly made some strides and could have improved his stock when it comes to winning the job for Kellen Moore. Impressing this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars could be the next step to officially supplanting Rattler as the starter."

It seems pretty clear that the Saints are leaning toward Shough, though Rattler has been given first team reps in practice on numerous occasions. Still, leaning toward Shough makes the most sense unless Rattler or Haener looks much improved compared to last season.

Both the second year quarterbacks looked horrible in their opportunity to play in Carr's absence, but this can be attributed to a lot of different things. Both guys were unprepared and overmatched in each game they played in. This year, under Moore, they have plenty of time to prepare themselves.

Still, going with Shough, at least to begin the year, makes the most sense. If the rookie signal caller struggles, the Saints can always pivot to Rattler or Haener. Either way, the team isn't going to be in a great spot this year, regardless of who's under center.

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

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