The New Orleans Saints have just one win this year. In Week 8, they were embarrassed by the injury-plagued Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their offense mustered up just three points. Spencer Rattler was benched for rookie Tyler Shough, but the offense didn’t look that much different. With questions about who is the quarterback of the future, the Saints had to decide who to give the nod to in Week 9.
Saints Announce Week 9 Starting QB
The Saints are making a change at QB. Rattler has started every game for the Saints so far, but with only one win to show for his starts and some subpar performances, the team is naming Shough the starter for Week 9.
Shough is a rookie that the Saints drafted in Round 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. New Orleans needs to find out what they have with him, and with their season seemingly over, it was time to give the 26-year-old quarterback a chance.
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
Shough didn’t look all that impressive in the second half against the Buccaneers. The Saints didn’t hold him back as he threw 30 passes after entering in the third quarter. He completed 17 of those 30 attempts for 128 yards. He took two sacks, threw an interception, and overthrew a wide-open Rashid Shaheed for a potential big gain or even a touchdown.
Rattler wasn’t much better than Shough in Week 8. Even though his stats were slightly better, the South Carolina product is not raising the ceiling of the Saints’ offense any more than Shough.
The Saints must see what they have in the rookie, as he is already 26 years old and their newest draft pick at quarterback. If Shough doesn’t pan out, they will be toward the top of the draft with the ability to select a new quarterback in the future.
MORE:Â 3 Saints Who Disappointed vs. Buccaneers: Who Underwhelmed in Week 8 Loss?
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 Saints have a tough week ahead. The Rams are one of the best teams in the NFL, and they await them in Week 9 for Shough’s first start. After that, they have to decide who is worth keeping around and who might be a good trade piece to cash in on with the trade deadline approaching on November 4.
The Saints’ schedule does get more favorable after the Rams. The only team over .500 that would be left on their schedule is the Buccaneers, with games against the Dolphins, Titans, and Jets left. The NFC South franchise could stack a couple of wins against favorable opponents as Shough will look to take advantage of his opportunity running the offense in New Orleans.
