The Saints are the only NFL team that hasn’t named a Week 1 starting quarterback, taking their QB battle into the final preseason game.
Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough have fought this preseason to earn the opportunity to be New Orleans’ starter to begin the season. After each player got a start in the first two preseason games, Rattler earned the nod to play with the starters in the Saints’ final preseason contest against the Broncos on Saturday.
This was the final chance for both Rattler and Shough to prove they should be the starter for Week 1 against the Cardinals. After the game, Kellen Moore said the team plans on making a starting quarterback decision next week.
Kellen Moore said the Saints will make their starting QB “at some point next week” after they review the tape and have discussions this weekend.
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) August 23, 2025
Here’s how the Saints’ quarterbacks fared on Saturday.
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Saints QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1. | Spencer Rattler |
| 2. | Tyler Shough |
| 3. | Jake Haener |
The Saints entered the game with Rattler first on the depth chart, and Shough second, and that lined up with Saturday’s playing time allocation. Rattler was the first quarterback on the field for New Orleans, while Shough followed him in the middle of the game.
Spencer Rattler stats vs. Broncos
- Completions/Attempts: 5/8
- Passing Yards: 53
- Passing Touchdowns: o
- Interceptions: 0
- Rating: 76.6
- Sacks: 1
- Fumbles: 0
- Rush attempts: 0
- Rush yards: 0
Rattler played most of the first half and led New Orleans on three scoring drives, all coming via field goal. However, Rattler didn’t lead any touchdown drives and was not too sharp, as he just threw for 53 yards on eight attempts.
Still, Rattler played entirely with the starting unit, potentially a sign that he has a leg up on Shough for the starting job.
Tyler Shough stats vs. Broncos
- Completions/Attempts: 12/20
- Passing Yards: 102
- Passing Touchdowns: 0
- Interceptions: 0
- Rating: 73.3
- Sacks: 1
- Fumbles: 1
- Rush attempts: 2
- Rush yards: 20
- Rushing Touchdowns: 1
Shough got more playing time than Rattler, as he entered the game in the second quarter and played into the fourth quarter. The rookie had an inconsistent performance, as he showed his inexperience, but he did produce a few nice plays and led the Saints to their only touchdown drive.
Of course, Shough played with the backups against Denver’s backups, which shows that he may still be behind Rattler on the depth chart. Based on Saturday’s performance, he likely didn’t do anything to change that distinction.
Tyler Shough highlights vs. Broncos
Shough didn’t have any explosive plays through the air, but he did connect with Treyton Welch for a 21-yard gain.
Shough finds Welch wide open for the first down pic.twitter.com/E74dD9K7sL
— Saints Film Room (@SaintsFilmRoom) August 23, 2025
Shough’s best highlight of the day was actually a rushing play, in which he took the ball 10 yards for the score in the Saints’ only touchdown of the day.
Tyler Shough keeps it and runs it in untouched ‼️
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/sVvG3MhrwV
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025
