Before the start of the season, Spencer Rattler won the New Orleans Saints‘ quarterback battle. However, after a 1-7 start, the team has now decided to put rookie Tyler Shough under center. However, after being named the starter, he gave a weird, somewhat concerning admission about his play.
Speaking to Brett Martel of the Associated Press, Shough said, “I’m going to make mistakes.” He then added, “So, I’m going to do everything I can to learn from those mistakes, and then just have fun doing it.” Shough also said, “What a great opportunity to go out there and just let it rip.”
While no one expects Shough to be perfect, openly admitting he will make mistakes is not what Saints‘ fans want to hear. Not only that, but he will have fun doing it? Saints’ fans were used to Drew Brees, after that, it’s been disaster after disaster in the QB position. Hence, they want solid play, not being concerned about mistakes on their passer.
Rattler’s numbers were not enough to avoid benching
Rattler is 1-7 this season but 1-13 overall in his career. In 2025, he completed 68% of his passes for 1586, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. His passer rating is 86.8 which is slightly below average. He also had four fumbles.
Spencer Rattler, QB for the New Orleans Saints
Rattler’s numbers from year one to year two have improved, but they weren’t good enough to make this team win games. Now, it’s time for a change. Rattler will be QB2 from now on.
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Does Shough provide an upgrade?
Shough and Rattler both played against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They had basically the same statline, though Rattler was a bit more efficient. Rattler ended 15/21 for 136 yards and one interception with a 68.7 passer rating.
As for Shough, he ended 17/30 for 128 yards, one interception and a 53.2 passer rarting. Hence, looking at the raw numbers, Shough is actually a bit of a downgrade compared to Rattler. However, now Shough has the chance to prove doubters wrong.
