When will 2025 NFL Draft pick Tyler Shough get his first NFL start with the New Orleans Saints?
In what was a down to the wire decision by Saints head coach Kellen Moore, the team will roll with second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Due to the 2024 NFL Draft fifth round pick having a tad bit more NFL experience, it’s an understandable decision given how close the battle was in the preseason.
Moore summed that up in explaining his decision.
"Experience is very, very valuable and Spence went through some challenging things last year, and for him to come out of that a better player, but then to be able to respond really, really well all offseason, I think was a tremendous testament to his work ethic and the way his mind works," Moore said, via ESPN.
"He's got [the] ability to kind of rebound from a challenge, an interception, a mistake, whatever it may be. That's one of the things that makes Spence great. You see his ability to just keep playing his game, keep trusting himself, keep delivering, and he's going to do that for us throughout the season."
A two quarterback system?
But Rattler shouldn’t get content.
Although the stats were very close through the preseason, the Saints seemed as though they were leaning towards Shough, who showcased a little excitement with both his arm and his legs. Given the state of the team and what they are trying to build, having both quarterbacks in the mix throughout the season could be best.
In other words, Moore has the option of just going with the hot hand on a week-to-week basis. If whoever starts the game struggles, there will be short leash to go with the other guy. If both consistently struggle, the Saints do have a third option in Jake Haener. This could all just lead to the Saints looking towards the 2026 NFL Draft to find their next franchise quarterback.
As far as 2025, it will be Rattler to start, but NFL Mocks predicts it will be a very short leash.
Shough gets the call in Week 2
Don’t be surprised if Shough gets his first NFL action in Week 1 in the home opener against the Arizona Cardinals. If the team gets down early at home, the crowd will be calling for Shough and Moore will need to see how the rookie quarterback reacts in that situation. If he shows composure and shows he can lead the offense like he did at times in the preseason, his first NFL start could come in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Will that be an ideal first start for a rookie? Well, given that he was that close to being named the starter, the team expects him to be ready whenever his name is called. In one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL, the Saints could find a bright spot in either Rattler or Shough as both are young with talent. They could also just preparing for an early tank-a-thon situation for one of the top guys in the 2026 NFL Draft.