A struggling Saints offense ignites a rookie QB change. Is Shough the spark or just another gamble in a lost season?
The New Orleans Saints have announced that rookie quarterback Tyler Shough will replace Spencer Rattler as the Saints’ starting quarterback. This comes after New Orleans showed zero signs of life on offense in a Week 8 divisional loss. They are now 1-7 on the year.
Is this move more about seeing what the rookie has in a lost season, or is it a full surrender in the belief of Spencer Rattler as their franchise QB? Can it be both?
Rattler has played well in parts of the season. He accumulated a passer rating above league average in three of his eight starts, including a Week 2 performance in which he completed 73% of his passes, threw three touchdowns to zero interceptions, and earned an elite 118.1 passer rating.
Recent weeks have not been as friendly to Rattler. The former South Carolina Gamecock has delivered back-to-back games with a passer rating below 70 and has thrown four interceptions in those two games, including an inexcusable pick-six in Week 8.
Tyler Shough was a late riser in the 2025 NFL draft process. He excelled at the Senior Bowl and grabbed the attention of every QB-needy team. Here are some notes from my scouting report on Tyler Shough as he entered the draft:
Strengths:
- PHYSICAL TOOLS
- Experience with multiple offensive schemes from his stops at Oregon, Texas Tech, and Louisville
- Shows great touch and looks comfortable in a structured passing offense
- Significant improvement in 2024
Negatives:
- Vast injury history: collarbone, fibula, non-throwing shoulder
- 25 years old, seven college seasons
- Needs to process quicker, holds the ball too long
- Gets out of his mechanics too often and makes inaccurate throws
- Struggled against the blitz
Shough is such an intriguing prospect. He was once a four-star recruit and Justin Herbert’s backup at Oregon. Injuries derailed his career; he played just 42 college games across seven years at three different schools. For reference, Shough is older than Trevor Lawrence, who is in his fifth year as an NFL starting quarterback.
Shough has extreme boom-or-bust potential with minimal middle ground. He will either become a good starting quarterback in the NFL for many years, putting his plus physical tools to work, or he will be out of the league in three years due to a combination of injuries and poor processing.
The Saints sit at 1-7 as they turn the page at quarterback. Kellen Moore knows his team will not be making the playoffs this year. Spencer Rattler is a known commodity and not a franchise quarterback. Tyler Shough, on the other hand, is a complete unknown.
Choosing to bench Rattler and start Shough at this point in the season is an intelligent decision. The rookie quarterback was given half a season to learn the offense and improve on his weaknesses. Now, the Saints have half a season to determine if they have something in Tyler Shough or if they will be selecting a quarterback within the top 5 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft. Regardless of the outcome, Shough should be treated with great patience and given every opportunity to prove his worth.