NFL Trade Rumors
Saints HC Kellen Moore told reporters on Tuesday that he’s not ready to name a starting quarterback in the competition between Spencer Rattler and second-rounder Tyler Shough, with neither player separating themselves yet.
“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 via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.
He added the Saints would take at least this week of practice to play the competition out further, with the preseason finale against the Broncos also playing a role in the decision.
“We’ve got three days of practice and a game, so we’ve got some excellent work coming our way,” he said.
New Orleans used some significant draft capital on Shough, an older-than-usual prospect who was viewed as experienced enough to potentially have a quick transition to the pros. But Rattler has more than held his own in the competition.
Shough, 25, was a four-star recruit ranked as the sixth overall quarterback in the 2018 class out of Chandler, Arizona. He committed to Oregon and enrolled for the 2018 season
Shough entered the portal after three years at Oregon and committed to Texas Tech for the 2022 season. He entered the portal for his final year of eligibility in 2024 after three years at Texas Tech and committed to Louisville.
The Saints used the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Shough. He was projected to sign a four-year, $10,793,226 contract with a $4,489,22 signing bonus.
In his collegiate career, Shough appeared in 42 games over seven years and completed 63 percent of his passes for 7,820 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions. He also rushed 246 times for 733 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Rattler, 24, started one year at Oklahoma and was the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy entering his second year when he was benched for Caleb Williams. He transferred to South Carolina and started his remaining two years.
The Saints drafted Rattler with the No. 150 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He’s in the second year of a four-year, $4,356,480 rookie contract that included a signing bonus of $336,480.
In 2024, Rattler appeared in seven games for the Saints, making six starts and completing 130 of 228 passes (57 percent) for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions.
We’ll have more on the Saints’ quarterback competition as the news is available.
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