Saints' Tyler Shough to Start vs. Jaguars amid QB1 Battle with Spencer Rattler

The rookie will get the start under center for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Saints head coach Kellen Moore announced Saturday that second-round pick Tyler Shough will start over Spencer Rattler in New Orleans' second preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Saints have a three-way competition for QB1 featuring Shough, Rattler and Jake Haener. Rattler started last week's 27-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, though all three quarterbacks saw some reps.

Shough saw the most action, completing 15 of his 22 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. Rattler threw for 53 yards on 7-of-11 passing, and Haener threw for 41 yards on 5-of-8 passing.

The Saints drafted Shough out of Louisville following a lengthy college career. Originally a part of the class of 2018, Shough spent three years at Oregon, three years at Texas Tech and one season with the Cardinals. He threw for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2024.

Despite his rookie status, Shough is older than Rattler and will be 26 in September, meaning he doesn't have quite as much time to learn and develop as other rookies. That could play to his advantage since the Saints can afford to let the 24-year-old Rattler spend another season on the bench.

Rattler, a fifth-round pick in 2024, appeared in seven games for the Saints last year, throwing for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He added 146 yards on the ground as a rookie.

Haener, a fourth-round pick in 2023, didn't see quite as many reps as Rattler last year but still played in eight games, throwing for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

While the Saints still have several weeks to decide their starter for Week 1, Larry Holder of The Athletic reported last month that Shough "will basically be handed the starting job" over Rattler and Haener.

If Shough can turn heads in his start on Sunday, he could do wonders for his odds of landing the role of QB1.