What’s the holdup in the New Orleans Saints quarterback battle? The competition between Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough has drawn out for weeks, and it’ll go down to the wire. Head coach Kellen Moore told reporters on Tuesday that this final preseason game with the Denver Broncos will be a factor, too. He admitted that the evaluations between the two young guns has been “really, really close” and the staff hasn’t made the decision just yet as to who will start in Week 1.
But that didn’t stop the Saints beat reporters from honing in on that QB decision. Moore faced a series of questions about it after Tuesday’s practice session, and he offered a bemused response when asked if he’s imposing a deadline to make the call.
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“We play Arizona on that Sunday, so hopefully before that. So something between today and that day,” Moore said. But that didn’t stop the inquiries. When will the team find out who is starting? What’s the benefit in waiting so long in the process?
Moore had to laugh at the persistent questioning: “We’re not hiding anything, guys. Don’t worry.”
Still, it’s concerning that neither quarterback has seized the job by now. The Saints are the last team in the NFL to name a starting QB this season. Rattler and Shough have each made impressive throws, and they’ve each made mistakes. Neither of them has put himself ahead in that race by consistently playing good football. That’s going to hold the team back this year. But the process takes as long as it takes. And Moore isn’t letting the pressure to choose rush him into making a rash decision.
“There’s a lot of people who like to ask about the quarterbacks, my kids included,” Moore joked. “It’s a fun conversation. They have advice on everything. Every bad decision, every throw, every play call. They’ve got it all.”
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Kellen Moore sets a sarcastic deadline for choosing Saints starting QB