Spencer Rattler to Start Over Tyler Shough in Saints' Preseason Finale amid QB Battle

Spencer Rattler will have the first opportunity to make a final preseason impression in the New Orleans Saints' quarterback race.

Saints head coach Kellen Moore told reporters Thursday that Rattler will start Saturday's contest against the Denver Broncos. Tyler Shough will see playing time after Rattler and many of the team's starters are on the field.

Both quarterbacks have seen plenty of playing time to this point in the preseason with varying degrees of success.

Here is a look at their statlines:

Saints vs. Los Angeles Chargers

• Tyler Shough: 15-of-22 for 165 yards, one touchdown and one interception
• Spencer Rattler: 7-of-11 for 53 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions

Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

• Spencer Rattler: 18-of-24 for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception
• Tyler Shough: 9-of-12 for 66 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions

Rattler's performance against the Jaguars stood out for more reasons than just the numbers.

Despite facing a 17-3 deficit in the second half, the South Carolina product directed two field-goal drives in the third quarter and then found Dante Pettis for a touchdown in the final 30 seconds of the game. He also ran in the ensuing two-point conversion himself to tie the contest at 17.

The game ended in a tie.

Now Rattler will have the opportunity to perhaps cement his spot as the starter with an impressive performance against the Broncos. If he does so, he will be looking for a better season than his 2024 effort when he went 0-6 as a starter with four touchdown passes to five interceptions.

Yet the Saints also selected Shough in the second round of this year's draft and surely envisioned him playing at some point. He will also turn 26 years old next month, so they might not want to sit him for as long as some rookies are sidelined as they adjust to the NFL game.

"It's really, really close—numbers, experiences, reps, everything—it's going all the way back to the start of training camp," Moore told reporters this week. "Everything is very, very close between this group. We'll see how it all plays out."

Given how close the battle seems to be, Saturday's preseason game could make the difference.