Saints starter gives team advice amid reported rise of rookie QB Tyler Shough

Per just about every account regarding what could become a quarterback competition in name only, rookie Tyler Shough entered the summer as the favorite to be the New Orleans Saints' Week 1 starter over 2024 fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener.

During an appearance on Friday's edition of NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" program, Saints starting guard Cesar Ruiz touched upon the notion that the club should start Shough simply because it made him the 40th overall pick of this year's draft. 

"I think just because we drafted a quarterback super early doesn't mean you have to push him in there and play," Ruiz explained, as shared by Nick Shook of the NFL's website. "I was drafted 24th overall as an offensive lineman (in 2020), and I didn't end up starting until Week 4. I was in and out of the lineup my rookie year. I think it's about development. It's about who you see fit right now."

Shough may be the best Week 1 "fit" for the Saints among the active quarterbacks on their roster following the surprising retirement of Derek Carr this past spring. Rattler went 0-6 as a starter during his rookie campaign and largely failed to impress over those outings. Meanwhile, Haener has thus far made just one regular-season start as a pro. 

As of Friday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Shough as a -310 betting favorite to start New Orleans' regular-season opener versus the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 7. Rattler was second on the list at +210 odds, while Haener was a massive +4000 underdog to win the gig at that time. 

"That quarterback competition right now is great to see," Ruiz said while also hinting that the battle is really between only Shough and Rattler. "It's great because it's two young guys who are both gonna leave their footprint somehow, someway in the NFL, and they're both extremely talented. It's just great to see those two compete and learn and just grow. Both of them are competing. Both of them are progressing. I just love seeing the progress of both of them."

It's no secret that those running the Saints hope Shough will make enough "progress" through the club's preseason finale to earn the trust of his teammates ahead of the clash with the Cardinals. As of the final Friday of June, there was no indication that New Orleans plans to trade for a proven veteran before the club begins training camp practices in late July.