Is the quarterback competition in New Orleans closer than people think?
The Saints are widely expected to roll with rookie Tyler Shough in Week 1. Shough was drafted at No. 40 overall in the 2025 NFL draft, notable because he was the first skill position player drafted by new head coach Kellen Moore.
Most fans and analysts see New Orleans’ QB1 job as Shough’s to lose, but Saints tight end Foster Moreau views the situation entirely differently.
“I don’t think this front office is just going to hand (Shough) the keys,” Moreau said, per SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I think he’s truly going to have to prove it … It’s anyone’s job for the taking. I’m excited to see how it goes … Some guys have looked good on Sundays. Some guys have looked good on other days. It really just depends on who can string together the most successful practices during camp, during the preseason games. Who’s really going to spin it when the bullets fly?”
Despite characterizing the QB competition as wide open, Moreau wasn’t afraid to praise Shough. “He’s a great guy,” Moreau said of Shough. “Hard-working dude. One of the first guys in the building, which is awesome. You always love to see that, especially from a young cat, especially from a guy at a premier position. He’s got a great personality, a really funny sense of humor, and he works, and he’s his own worst critic. I don’t know how much more I can expect from ... a young, albeit 26-year-old, rookie quarterback.”
If the battle for QB1 is as Moreau describes, Shough’s main competition for the job will be second-year man Spencer Rattler, a gifted quarterback in his own right.
It’s also important to note that whoever starts the season as the Saints’ starter may not finish the season as such, due to injury or underperformance. Moore and Co. are hoping to get consistent play from the position, but the Saints haven’t thrown the hopes of their franchise behind Shough, Rattler, or anyone else, especially with a loaded QB draft class looming in 2026.
