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As the New Orleans Saints are in the midst of a quarterback competition in their offseason program, head coach Kellen Moore gives the media and fans an update on the position room's direction. While Saints rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough has been turning heads in OTAs, he's not guaranteed the starting job as other players are vying for the opportunity.
The other signal-callers in New Orleans besides Shough are Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and undrafted rookie Hunter Dekkers, with only Rattler and Haener having at least one start in an NFL game. While Moore wouldn't reveal who's winning the early battle, he would express on Thursday how excited he is to see each quarterback develop, according to the team's website.
“I like where those guys are heading,” Moore said. “A lot of the quarterback process during the OTA phase is really focused on their command and their control, their ability to call the play, take control at the line of scrimmage. I thought all those guys get a check there, they did a really good job.”
“You see them make the throws that you need to make, they certainly made those plays, and I think their preparation has been really good,” Moore said. “The execution, just the consistency, is going to be the big aspect as we continue to grow this thing. But feel really good about where all these guys are at.”
Saints' starting quarterback job still up in the air
With the Saints moving on from Derek Carr after the veteran retired from football, they are looking for a player who can lead uncharted waters this upcoming season. In a column from ESPN's Dan Graziano, he spoke about how it's a valid thought that Shough “might be the QB1,” but there are some on the team who adore Rattler.
“When the Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round and then Derek Carr retired a few months later, it certainly was fair to assume Shough would be in line to take over as the starter. And he absolutely might be the QB1,” Graziano wrote. “But there are people in the Saints' building who like Spencer Rattler and want to give him a chance to compete with Shough for the starting job. And so far this offseason, Rattler has shown improvement over his poor 2024 rookie performance.”
“As of now, expect the Saints to set up training camp as a true competition between Shough and Rattler,” Graziano continued. “Could Shough have the edge as the player the new coaching staff drafted with the 40th pick? Absolutely. But it doesn't sound like anything is already a done deal.”
At any rate, New Orleans is looking to improve after finishing with a 5-12 record, which put them last in the NFC South.
