Saints QB battle: Kellen Moore lays out when New Orleans will decide between Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler
New Orleans is hosting the lone remaining QB battle
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1 min read
The New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts have decided on their quarterback battles, leaving just the New Orleans Saints to name a starting signal-caller.
This appears to be a tight race between second-year pro Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough. New coach Kellen Moore says this battle will go down to the wire -- even through the Saints' final preseason matchup against the Denver Broncos.
"We've got three days of practice and a game, so we've got some excellent work coming our way," Moore said, via ESPN.
In the Saints' two preseason matchups, Rattler has completed 25 of 35 passes for 252 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Shough has completed 24 of 34 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
"It's really, really close -- numbers, experiences, reps, everything -- it's going all the way back to the start of training camp. Everything is very, very close between this group. We'll see how it all plays out," Moore said.
Rattler was a fifth-round pick out of South Carolina last season, and he completed 57% of his passes for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions in seven games played as a rookie. The Saints struggled last season when Derek Carr was not under center, as Rattler and Jake Haener did not register a single win. Granted, both young quarterbacks did not find themselves in a favorable situation, as the Saints were eviscerated by injuries in 2024.
Saints by starting QB in 2024
| Derek Carr | Spencer Rattler/Jake Haener | |
|---|---|---|
W-L | 5-5 | 0-7 |
Points per game | 24.5 | 13.3 |
Points per game differential | +6.3 | -17.6 |
If it wasn't Shedeur Sanders, Shough was the most polarizing quarterback prospect in the 2025 class. While the rookie is set to turn 26 years old next month, he was praised by evaluators and coaches for his attractive frame and arm talent. In fact, one NFL coach apparently believed Shough was the top quarterback in this past draft -- yes, even better than No. 1 overall pick Cameron Ward.
Shough played for Oregon and Texas Tech before wrapping up his seven-year collegiate career at Louisville this past season. Overall, he went 21-11 as a college starter, and finished on a high note by throwing for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions for the Cardinals in 2024.
