This past Sunday, the New Orleans Saints faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC South matchup, which the Buccaneers won by 20. In the third quarter of the game, quarterback Spencer Rattler was benched in favor of rookie Tyler Shough, and a few days later, head coach Kellen Moore named Shough as the Saints’ starting QB. During his announcement, Moore made a significant declaration that will impact the rest of the Saints’ season.
The Declaration
In his post-practice press conference on Wednesday, Moore spoke on the Saints’ decision to name Shough as the starting QB. In this moment, the HC mentioned the QB plan moving forward, “We’re not looking back on that.” The reason Moore is making such confident statements is less about Shough and more about how the Saints have dealt with their quarterbacks this season.
The Saints have faith that Shough can prove why he was worth a second-round selection, but they also want the team to rally around the player the staff chose. Moore actually did make a similar declaration when the team named Rattler the starter after training camp. A move like this is very smart because it shows the staff/team has trust in the new starter, but it also stops any idea that this is still a battle between the QBs.
Will Shough Stay the Starter?
As what happened with Rattler, this statement by the Saints’ HC is just an expectation by the staff. At this point in the season, New Orleans must evaluate Shough as a potential franchise QB, and there’s no better way to do that than by giving him starting snaps. If Shough does play or even show signs that the Saints can give him the job next year, New Orleans could then focus on other positions of need around the roster in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Ohio State LB Arvell Reese this season:
😤 42 tackles
😤 6.5 TFL
😤 5.5 sacks
😤 19 pressures
😤 30.6% pressure ratePFSN’s @IC_Draft calls Reese, a “true offensive terminator” and one of the elite prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class. 🔥@OhioStateFB | @arvxll pic.twitter.com/zBqW6wKmeE
— PFSN College (@PFSNcollege) October 30, 2025
In a future where Shough does not meet the Saints’ expectations, QB would be a top option in the draft. Prospects like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson would be some of the potential names the Saints could target. The unknown factor is whether these QBs will return to college or declare for the NFL.
