With the 40th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Tyler Shough, a quarterback out of Louisville.
While the pick was moderately surprising, it was more of a need than it looked like it would be just a couple of months ago. That was before the Saints and their saga with Derek Carr heated up.
When Kellen Moore took the head coaching job in February, it appeared that the plan was fairly simple at that position. Carr would play out 2025, and New Orleans would figure it out after that. It was going to work for both parties. Carr would get one last chance to prove his worthiness of being someone’s franchise answer, and the Saints would be given time to find his replacement and/or decide that he could stick around as their guy.
That all changed on May 10th when Carr announced his retirement. Just two weeks after the selection of Shough, New Orleans officially was officially without their veteran option at the position. There had been speculation about Carr’s health prior, but this made things abundantly clear.
There was a stretch of time in May where it appeared like Shough would be handed the keys as a rookie. However, Moore declined to be committal to the rookie as his starter, and instead said that 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener would compete alongside Shough for the job.
For Rattler, the potential has always been immense. A long journey in college saw several stops, but his maturity only grew, especially in his last two seasons at South Carolina. As a fifth-rounder, he was thrust into action late last season after Carr’s injury.
The numbers were not great. Rattler went 0-6 as a starter, throwing four touchdowns to go along with five interceptions. However, the roster was significantly banged up, with multiple key offensive weapons unavailable for the majority of his time under center. He did show flashes in each game, but it seems unfair to consider that stretch a true evaluation of his ability.
As for Haener, there have always been reports of impressive play in practice. However, his limited action in-game has always been less than stellar. Last season, he initially got the chance when Carr went down. His poor play immediately led to Rattler getting the nod instead.
As we fast-forward into the present day, the Saints have begun training camp and are evaluating all three of these young quarterbacks, They have opted not to bring in a veteran, meaning Shough, Rattler, or Haener will be the starting quarterback on September 7th against the Arizona Cardinals.
THE CASE FOR EACH:
Tyler Shough:
The case for Shough is probably the easiest to make. He was drafted the highest, two rounds earlier than either of the other two. He was also selected by the current regime, not the former.
The early indications are that Shough is more hesitant, and not as willing to force the ball down the field. This can go both ways. On one hand, risk aversion is perhaps more difficult to learn after the fact. However, being aggressive in the right spots is essential at the position.
Shough showed elite ball-placement in college. With a seemingly healthier group of position players than what the Saints dealt with for the majority of last year, this rookie should get better and better as the season progresses.
Spencer Rattler:
Rattler’s case is mostly rooted in experience. He has the most NFL playing experience of the three (albeit still just six games). He is also exactly one year younger than Shough despite being drafted one year prior.
The upside and arm talent for Rattler has never been a question. Some of the off-field personality concerns have seemingly been a complete non-issue during his time in New Orleans as well.
Reports in the early portions of camp suggest that Rattler has played the best of the three. This is not entirely surprising, especially considering he has the experience of going through camp, something Shough does not have. There is a real possibility that Rattler will be the most prepared quarterback to handle the reigns early in the season for this team.
Jake Haener:
Haener’s case is probably the most difficult of the three to make, but let’s give it a shot, shall we?
He is actually the most experienced of the three, having gone through two full NFL seasons prior to this one. Additionally, he has always turned heads in practice. His receiving of some first-team reps throughout camp suggest that this coaching staff sees something in him much like the prior one did.
If we are being honest, his “opportunity” last season did not seem like a fair one. The coaching staff was trying to keep their jobs, and the quick pivot to Rattler was likely an effort to do just that. Haener would be receiving his first true opportunity in 2025 if he got the nod.
THE VERDICT:
In my opinion, Shough makes the most sense if this battle is at all close. Whether fair or not, coaching staffs in the NFL are always more likely to go with “their” guys. Shough is Moore’s guy out of the three, given hat he is the only one that was brought in during his tenure. The arm talent is there, and the team has four full years of contract control at a cheap number.
The clear silver medal winner for me is Rattler. The upside is right there with Shough, and he has similar team control. The added year of experience could be a benefit, and it is not unlikely that he out-performs Shough throughout camp.
I just do not see a path for Haener. Even if he excels in camp, we have an in-game sample size of the last few preseasons that suggests that there will be a drop-off once he faces a team in different color jerseys. He has the least invested in him at this point, and would be the easiest to let go for a staff that inherited him.
The Saints have a roster that has been tabbed near the bottom in the league in talent by many national media outlets. Personally, I disagree with that sentiment. Many of New Orleans’ struggles last year can be attributed to injury. Additionally, a new coaching staff has come in and made plenty of necessary changes.
The quarterback play is without a doubt the biggest question mark on this team. If it is just average, this team has the chance to surprise some people. I am not sure the playoffs are in reach, but finishing bottom three in the league is not where I would project them either.
Dawson Eiserloh is the host of “The LohDown with D-Loh” which is broadcast weekdays (1-3 PM) on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles — Southwest Louisiana’s Sports Station