Saints May Have Long-Term Franchise QB Already On Roster

The New Orleans Saints are one of the more intriguing teams to follow this year, though it's not for all the best reasons. With newly signed head coach Kellen Moore in control of the team, there's a lot to be excited about. But the personnel on offense is a struggle in and of itself.

The biggest question mark on the Saints' offense is the quarterback position. The team saw the sudden retirement from Derek Carr and were left with the trio of Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener. None of these young quarterbacks look like the true franchise quarterback in New Orleans, but one of them has to win the job.

ESPN's Katherine Terrell recently made the case for Shough to earn the starting job over Rattler as the preseason slowly comes to a close.

Tyler Shough could be the franchise QB in New Orleans

Aug 10, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) throws during pre game warmups before a game against against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images | Jon Endow-Imagn Images

"When Shough was drafted in April, it came with expectations. Although the Saints didn't take Shough with their first pick, he was still their highest selected quarterback since Archie Manning was drafted No. 2 in 1971," Terrell wrote. "Shough, who turns 26 on Sept. 28, is exactly one year older than Rattler. He and his camp negotiated a fully guaranteed contract, and because he's a second-round pick, the Saints won't have a fifth-year option to pick up.

"The Saints would likely want to get him on the field as soon as possible for those factors alone. None of those things mean Shough will be guaranteed the starting job, but it could tip the scales in his favor if the competition is that close. And in the past two weeks, Shough has closed Rattler's early lead."

Shough is seemingly the favorite to land the position coming out of the preseason. He was the starter in Week 1 of the preseason and put together the best performance of all three options, despite throwing an interception and losing the game. Shough was also named the starter for the Week 2 preseason game on Sunday.

Coach Moore is seemingly getting close to making a decision as to who the starter will be and all signs are pointing to Shough. He's the rookie quarterback that Moore seems to be a big fan of. Although he doesn't have "future Hall of Famer" written all over him, he looks like the best option that the Saints have right now.

More NFL: Saints Make Bold QB Decision Ahead of Preseason Week 2