After the New Orleans Saints benched quarterback Spencer Rattler after disappointing in their loss Sunday, many wondered who head coach Kellen Moore would name as the starter moving forward: Rattler or rookie Tyler Shough?
Well, the answer is here.
Who Is Starting for the New Orleans Saints?
Per Ian Rapoport, the Saints will focus on the future and hand the starting job to rookie QB Tyler Shough.
Sources: The future is now in New Orleans, with the #Saints making rookie QB Tyler Shough their starter.
Spencer Rattler now heads to the bench, while the second-rounder moves to the forefront in a decision coach Kellen Moore informed them of today. pic.twitter.com/yO2MJ86vJ6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2025
The Saints’ coaching staff pulling the trigger and making a move like this does not come as a surprise. HC Kellen Moore hand-selected Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Spencer Rattler was a part of a prior coaching regime.
It was a surprise when the Saints originally went with Rattler as the starter to begin the season, but Shough needed more time to develop in the background while Rattler could potentially prove himself. In the end, Rattler had some great games for New Orleans, but after struggling for two straight games and turning the ball over, his time as the starter was over.
For Shough, this is where he can hold off any chance of the Saints drafting a QB in 2026. He now has an opportunity to show development, the ability to make winning plays, and to elevate and command the offense, and to prove that Kellen Moore made the correct decision in selecting him.
The Saints have the 29th-ranked offense in the league based on PFSN’s Offense Impact metric with an impact score of 66.1. New Orleans has struggled to put points on the board, as the team has only scored more than 20 points twice in 2025. Now, Shough is being given the keys to change their fortunes.
The expectations won’t be for Shough to dominate and become the franchise right away, but he can show signs of being that in the future. If there is a base level confidence that Moore can have in Shough after this season, the Saints can name him the starting QB early into training camp next season and go with him for 2026. This then allows the Saints to focus on other parts of the roster and pursue upgrades in the draft without worrying about finding a QB.
