Getting you ready for training camp: James Hurst talks Saints quarterback battle
Getting you ready for training camp: James Hurst talks Saints quarterback battle
All right, James, training camp just around the corner. How excited are you to just check out this team this year under Keller Moore? Very excited. I think *** new direction is good. Um, you know, the past few seasons have been *** disappointment, to say the least. So I think it was *** time to move in *** new direction. So I’m excited to see what new leadership can do, what young leadership can do, and just get some fresh energy in the building, kind of put the past behind us, move forward and see if we can win some games and compete for the playoffs. And look, they’ve had an offseason so far. The mandatory mini camp and of course rookie minicamp OTAs. How long do you think this is going to take? Do you think this is going to be *** process because, you know, people here, they want *** winner overnight. Do you think this is *** process for the black and gold? I do. I think it’s gonna be *** longer process because of the quarterback position. I at at the end of the day, quarterback is the most important position on the field. Uh, he touches the ball every single play, he has complete command over the entire offense, every position. Um, and the fact that there’s *** quarterback battle going on and, and both the guys are young and inexperienced, um, that lends itself to just an uphill climb, and I think that’s what we’re gonna have to see. We’re gonna have to be patient. Now hopefully we’re, we’re gonna be able to see coach Moore how he deals with handling this, this competition and training camp, but more importantly how we. See the composition play out into the preseason, into the early parts of the regular season, how the game plan, uh, what kind of leash they give each player in those games, uh, to see what the future looks like and hopefully we see some glimpses early on. All right, James, you’re leading to my next topic, of course, the quarterback, the competition. Let’s talk about each one of those guys. We’ll start with the guy. Who had the most starts last year, of course, Spencer Rattler, the development that you want to see from him this offseason and maybe in the regular season if he becomes the starting quarterback. What I’m really excited about is the skill positions. Uh, the starters on the skill positions on offense, I think, um, it’s *** talented bunch of guys. It’s plenty of weapons for him to distribute the ball, throwing the ball, um, running the ball, being able to make all sorts of checks, um, being in his 2nd year, that’s typically when we see the biggest jump, um, at any position, any NFL player, they typically make their biggest jump from year 1 to year 2. So I’m excited about that. He should be *** little more comfortable, although that was. One of his strong suits I believe in his rookie season, um, just the command, um, always being calm no matter the circumstance I think that was something that he did *** great job of. So I’m excited to see what kind of jump he has. I really wanna see the offense remain healthy around him. That was the biggest issue for him last year was he didn’t have the guys up front most of the time he was *** starter missing several skill position players, um, throughout his tenure as *** starting quarterback and, and that was really that was kind of unfair to give to give any sort of true. Judgment on who he is or what type of quarterback he can be. So I’m excited to see him work with the full complement of the offense because I think the offense does have the talent to score points to move the ball up and down the field, uh, pretty consistently, but I want to see that unit remain healthy to give him *** chance so we can know what kind of player Rattler can be. How much do you like his physical traits, his arm and his ability to kind of scramble out of the pocket? I know not the biggest of quarterbacks, but it feels like he has that solid arm and he’s able to at least move the pocket *** bit. Absolutely. I, I think some of his his best moments in his first season was times when he was able to get out of the pocket, whether that was improvised by him or designed by the play callers but getting him on the move, he, he has the ability to move in and out of the pocket while keeping his eyes down field, which is *** really great trait to have and his arm strength. Honestly, um, it’s pretty top tier seeing him make some of the throws, uh, the timing throws outside the hashes towards the sidelines, deep down the field. He’s definitely got that arm strength and, and the ability to, to throw it far and throw it hard on the run as well. So that’s, that’s *** strength of his and I’m sure that, um, Coach Moore knows that and, and will use that when he is in the game, um, but it’s something. If he wants to be successful, it’s got to be *** good mix. He can’t rely solely on that. He’s got to be able to stand in the pocket, get the, get rid of the ball quickly and on time, but also use his strengths of getting out of the pocket and throwing on the move. *** guy with *** strong arm is first year quarterback, the rookie Tyler Shuck. How much have you seen of him? I don’t know if you’ve watched *** little bit of him from afar, at least when it comes to this offseason or maybe when he was at Louisville. Yeah, again, that’s, that’s another strength, uh, very pure passer. It looks so easy, um, just *** slight flick of the wrist for him and he can get the ball anywhere on the field. So I think it’s good that both those quarterbacks have that strength, um, from ***, from *** training camp perspective, uh, from *** game plan perspective, that’s something that, you know, whoever is *** starter, um, you can kind of rely on *** strong arm. So your play design, you can throw the ball further down the field, you can throw the ball deep to the sideline, which, um, you know, opposite hash throw, you’re talking. And talking *** lot of added yardage on those throws, but both those guys can do that. Um, he did it in college. Now the biggest question, um, obviously in the NFL is the change of speed, right? Um, now he’s mature, he’s an older guy to be *** rookie, but he hasn’t played at this level. And until you really feel that speed with the pass rush, the pressure coming down on you, um, so many questions remain about what type of player you are as *** rookie and how you’ll grow in your first experience. Look, he’s 6’5, 220, 25 pounds. Does his style still work in today’s game? And I know that Kellen Moore had to work with Justin Herbert when he was there with the Chargers. Does this style still work in the NFL today with his size? I think it does, but I think the expectation is that even if you have that size, you’re able to move, you’re able to to evade defenders, uh, maybe not, you know, *** one on one type of situation, but if there’s half of *** block going on in front of you, you’re able to to set that block up and and move where you need to move in or out of the pocket to be able to, to make *** throw or even, you know, run for 7 to 10 yards down the field and pick up *** first down. I think that is the new part of the quarterback. Um, the, the new NFL quarterback, if you will, is that teams expect their quarterback to be able to extend the play, um, maybe pick up some yards on the ground. It’s no longer, um, the era of Peyton Manning, you know, where if, if the sack’s coming, you’re just gonna kind of drop down, um, and take the sack. These new quarterbacks, um, that. Have to be able to get out and move and I think Chuck can do it, um, you know, we’ve seen him do it from time to time and it’s something they’re gonna be working with him on. It’s just as *** rookie, there’s *** lot on his plate, right? And so what, what is natural for him, what is easy, we’re gonna see his tendencies early in the preseason when the live bullets are going. So of course it’s Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shuck. Where does this leave Jay Kor? Do you think he’s the odd man out with those two guys battling it? It feels like the obvious answer is yes at this point. Yeah, I agree. I think he’s the odd man out. I think, uh, gave us *** pretty big insight into what the organization thinks of him, uh, the game last year when, when Jake was able to start, they pulled him at halftime just, you know, and that just showed that. They might not, they might not have had very much confidence in him. Uh, they wanted to give him *** shot, which they did, but again, so many injuries on offense, it’s hard to say, but it does seem like he’s gonna be the odd man out. Um, it, it seems like it’s gonna take some sort of injury or, or really poor play from either or both of those first two guys for him to kind of get another look now. That’s not to say he can’t be *** great player. It’s just going to be very difficult for him to find those reps in the preseason with with his young quarterback battle and especially into any meaningful snaps in the regular season. All right, James, quickly, I kind of want you to look in your magic 8 ball here. Who’s the starting quarterback week one for the black and gold when they take the field? I think it’s Spencer Rattler. I think on offense you’ve got the weapons around you. Um, I, I feel fairly confident with the, with the state of the offensive line that they’re gonna be able to be, you know, *** good unit, uh, with, with high, with *** high ceiling, um, but at the very least I think there’ll be *** good unit, um, so I think they’re gonna want to put *** guy that’s played. Some some real football in there uh to start the season, to give the team some confidence, um, you know, that it’s not *** rookie guy, it’s not someone that’s totally fresh and new, someone that’s seen it before. I think that’s how they’re going to start the season. All right, he is Saints on 6 analyst James Hirsch. James, thanks for your time as always. Absolutely, thank you.
Getting you ready for training camp: James Hurst talks Saints quarterback battle
Getting you ready for training camp: James Hurst talks Saints quarterback battle
Updated: 4:42 PM CDT Jul 21, 2025
When the New Orleans Saints kickoff training camp Wednesday morning all eyes will be on the quarterbacks.The Who Dat Nation will show up to the Saints facility on Airline Drive ready to see if second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler or rookie quarterback Tyler Shough will become the starter.Shough was drafted 40th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.The soon to be 26-year-old seems to be the heavy favorite to be the starting signal caller.Shough had some bright spots and struggles in OTAs and mandatory and minicamp like most rookies would have trying to learn the NFL game.Rattler will be aiming to become the full-time starter this year.Last season, Rattler played in seven games, going 0-6 as the starter.He completed 133-228 (57%) of his passes for 1,317 yards, 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.Also in the running is Jake Haener, who played in eight games last season, going 0-1 as the starter.Haener completed 18-39 (46.2%) of his passes for 226 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
NEW ORLEANS —
When the New Orleans Saints kickoff training camp Wednesday morning all eyes will be on the quarterbacks.
The Who Dat Nation will show up to the Saints facility on Airline Drive ready to see if second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler or rookie quarterback Tyler Shough will become the starter.
Shough was drafted 40th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The soon to be 26-year-old seems to be the heavy favorite to be the starting signal caller.
Shough had some bright spots and struggles in OTAs and mandatory and minicamp like most rookies would have trying to learn the NFL game.
Rattler will be aiming to become the full-time starter this year.
Last season, Rattler played in seven games, going 0-6 as the starter.
He completed 133-228 (57%) of his passes for 1,317 yards, 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
Also in the running is Jake Haener, who played in eight games last season, going 0-1 as the starter.
Haener completed 18-39 (46.2%) of his passes for 226 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.