“Gotta a lot of respect for all those guys, and we bond really well. That’s what I like, it’s a tight-knit room,” said the Saints QB Spencer Rattler on The Rich Eisen Show a few days back. Obviously, respect and admiration exist, but underneath the surface, there is another thing that will determine their QB room depth. Competition and the will to succeed! In his rookie year, Tyler Shough wants to impress HC Kellen Moore and win the starting job. But that isn’t going to be a cakewalk.
According to Kyle Long on the July 14 episode of NFL on CBS, the Saints’ quarterback room is already taking shape, and Tyler Shough isn’t the one rising. “It’s a bunch of young guys,” Long said, “with a quarterback coach who’s the veteran.” That vet? Moore. And he’s quietly calling the shots.
The buzz out of New Orleans isn’t subtle anymore. Moore, who was brought in to stabilize the offense, appears to have made his pick. Spencer Rattler, the former Oklahoma and South Carolina wild card, is separating himself. Why? Experience. “Rattler’s experience puts him above the other guys early on,” Long added. And even Mike Renner chimed in, blunt and direct. “Yeah, I tend to agree,” CBS analyst and host Mike Renner said.
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With last year’s 5th-round pick (150th overall) emerging as Kellen Moore’s QB1, Tyler Shough’s fate as backup is sealed. Renner further explained his stance about the Saints’ second-round pick (40th overall) from this year’s draft: “There were things about his game that I didn’t feel were like he’s not this savvy vet of a quarterback coming in.”
He went on to praise his arm talent and athleticism. But noted his shortcomings further. “I just thought his anticipatory throws, his panickiness under pressure, was not quite ready.” Shough, the 26-year-old with the NFL body and cannon arm, was supposed to be the sleeper. But as Renner’s words cut through, it’s clear he’s still a project. Moreover, the coach doesn’t have time for that. This staff wants sharp reads, pocket poise, and mental maturity. And they’re finding that in Rattler.
At an average age of 24 years and 9 months, the Saints QB room is one of the youngest mixes in the league. But a long-time franchise analyst sees more loopholes in the coach.
Kellen Moore’s ability to develop Tyler Shough under doubt
With a 21-11 win-loss record in 42 games (32 starts), the Louisville product needs more training. The rookie’s 59-23 TD-int ratio in 7,820 college yards with a 63% completion rate often gets overlooked because of his injuries. Now? If Spencer Rattler starts for the franchise, the coach will have more time to develop Tyler Shough. But let’s not overhype Moore. It’s also his first stint as a head coach.
That’s what long-time Saints analyst Darrion Gray pointed out. He wrote, “Moore has never developed a quarterback. He may have done a good job maximizing the talents of Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts, but that is not the same as developing a rookie or second-year quarterback. This will be as much of a learning process for Moore as it is for Shough and Rattler.”
Amid all the noise and chatter about their starting quarterback, Moore has always tried to downplay it. He still wants to keep the competition open. But their first preseason game against the Chargers is less than a month away now. And he will have to pick fast. Although it’s not going to be easy, that’s the way the sport works.
Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler? One of these two will carve out their trajectory in the coming season. While the QBs scream readiness for the violence, nothing else will be louder than the side they end up on. Winning is the only thing that can keep you going in the arena, which swallows losers.
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