Saints new arrival Tyler Shough sends warning message to Spencer Rattler’s QB1 hopes

For New Orleans Saints fans who wanted to bury their heads under a rock when the team selected seventh-year senior quarterback Tyler Shough out of Louisville, there is a ray of hope.

In theory, Shough did not get selected that high for no reason. And, the Saints weren’t the only ones projecting Shough to be a Day 2 pick. So, was it really that much of a surprise?

Besides, New Orleans was already in a bind at quarterback in light of the Derek Carr injury situation. It was either Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener, if not Carr, and neither one of those necessarily inspired much confidence.

By that same sentiment, it already appears as though Shough has the inside track on the starting job.

An NFL executive just put Spencer Rattler’s future with the Saints in doubt

For fans wanting to give Rattler a chance at the starting gig after limited opportunity as a rookie, don’t hold your breath.

According to a report viaThe Athletic, one NFL executive would be shocked if Shough didn’t take over the starting job in the midst of Carr’s injury.

As if a second-round billing, for Shough, wasn’t already enough to throw Rattler’s future in doubt, that opinion is pretty damning.

Rattler was once a first-round type of prospect before he fell hard, and it wasn’t even completely due to character questions. As he showed during a short period of time as a rookie, Rattler has plenty to improve upon.

In Shough, the Saints are in fact getting a fairly pro-ready quarterback. Injury concerns are real after he saw three-straight collegiate seasons come to an early end. But, his lone year with Louisville put a healthy campaign on display and showed NFL scouts everything they needed to see.

Clearly, the Saints weren’t going to miss this opportunity, especially with the roster in such a financial bind. This team needs an answer at quarterback, and Mickey Loomis took his shot.

Should Shough not end up working out, you can bet fans will look back on this second-round pick as a huge swing and miss. But, at least Loomis opted to take a big swing rather than banking on Rattler or Haener.

Will Shough end up the Saints’ starter for Week 1? Only time will tell, but right now, it’s looking promising.

Former Saints Pro Bowler Thomas Morstead supports Tyler Shough wearing his jersey number

This is cool to see. Noted good guy and longtime New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead responded to news of rookie quarterback Tyler Shough planning to pick up his old jersey by urging him to do so. Morstead has continued punting around the NFL since the Saints cut him back in 2021, and the No. 6 jersey he wore proudly for so many years has changed hands several times — going from safety Marcus Maye to linebacker Willie Gay Jr., and now, maybe, Shough.

“I hope it is as good to you as it was to me,” Morstead wrote on social media. A fifth-round draft pick by the Saints back in 2009, Morstead won the Super Bowl his rookie year with New Orleans and later earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2012. He spent the first 12 years of his career in black and gold, wearing that No. 6 in 190 regular season games and 14 playoff games. That kind of longevity is rare, and it would be a massive success if Shough can match it.

When will Morstead return to New Orleans? He’s going to be competing for his job at New York Jets training camp this summer with Austin McNamara, a second-year punter, and if he wins that battle he’ll visit the Caesars Superdome when the Jets come to town in the fall. So maybe one former No. 6 can catch up with the newest guy to wear that number for the Saints.

The Saints have built one of the NFL’s lightest, shortest wide receiver corp

If the New Orleans Saints don’t have the smallest group of wide receivers in the NFL, they have to be close. Both of their leading receivers, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, are listed at about 6-foot-flat and 190 pounds, a far cry from the likes of Michael Thomas (who played at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds) and Marques Colston (6-foot-4, 225 pounds). Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who left in free agency, towered over them at 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds.

By design or not, all of the receivers the Saints have brought in this offseason share the same athletic profile. Brandin Cooks may not run a 4.3 anymore but he still weighs in at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds. Undrafted rookies Moochie Dixon and Chris Tyree both clocked impressive times in the 40-yard dash, but neither of them added much to the receiving corps in terms of diversity of body types. Just look at the list from the official team website, ordered from lightest to heaviest:

Rashid Shaheed (6-foot-0, 180 pounds)
Mason Tipton (5-foot-11, 187 pounds)
Chris Olave (6-foot-0, 187 pounds)
Moochie Dixon (6-foot-0, 187 pounds)
Brandin Cooks (5-foot-10, 190 pounds)
Chris Tyree (5-foot-10, 192 pounds)
Dante Pettis (6-foot-1, 195 pounds)
Cedrick Wilson Jr. (6-foot-2, 197 pounds)
Kevin Austin (6-foot-2, 200 pounds)
Bub Means (6-foot-2, 215 pounds)
That could be a problem. It’s become a cliche but many coaches describe the ideal receiving corps as a basketball team — having a mix of different athletes, some taller, some lighter, some faster and others, well, not so much fast as quick. Missing those archetypes is going to ask guys to take on responsibilities they aren’t built for. Chris Olave is tied for 26th in first down conversions by a wide receiver (with Brandon Aiyuk) since he entered the league, but it’s not an accident that he’s suffered so many concussions while absorbing so many big hits on physical plays at the first down marker.

We’ll see if more moves are coming. The Saints can sign veteran free agents now without impacting the compensatory draft picks formula for 2026; for example, if they targeted Keenan Allen (the 6-foot-2, 211-pounder who had a career year with Kellen Moore calling pllays in 2023), signing him wouldn’t wipe out the fourth-round draft pick they’re projected to get next year after losing Paulson Adebo in free agency. That wasn’t the case before the draft. Or maybe he envisions a big role for 2024 fifth-round pick Bub Means, the tallest and heaviest receiver on the roster right now. At the same time, getting smaller and faster at wideout might have been Moore’s plan all along. We’ll find out soon enough.

Saints Listed As Top Destinations For Free-Agent 5-time Pro Bowl wideout

The New Orleans Saints used their second-round draft choice on a quarterback, Tyler Shough out of Louisville. Shough will have some nice weapons to work with in New Orleans.

Alvin Kamara remains one of the best all-purpose backs in the NFL. Juwan Johnson is a receiving mismatch at tight end, while Taysom Hill creates all kinds of matchup issues for opposing defenses.

The Saints also have a trio of explosive wideouts with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks. However, none of the three are over 6-feet or more than 190-Lbs. New Orleans lacks a consistent intermediate possession receiver.

There are three such wideouts still available on the free-agent market. Tyler Boyd would make a terrific addition to new coach Kellen Moore’s offense. Keenan Allen has been linked to New Orleans often because he played for Moore with the Chargers. There is another decorated NFL veteran that a few analysts have potentially landing with the Saints.

A ten-year veteran, the 30-year-old Cooper was originally the fourth pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Alabama by the Oakland Raiders.

Cooper has 711 career receptions for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns with four different teams. He’s had seven 1,000-yard seasons and has at least 70 receptions in seven different campaigns.

Cooper appeared in 10 games with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills last season. He had a combined 44 catches for 547 yards, both the lowest of his career. However, it’s also clear he still has some quality football left.

NFL Network writer Kevin Patra lists the Saints as one of seven teams that make sense for Cooper’s next destination. Here’s what Patra had to say about a potential pairing with New Orleans.

”The Saints have a fine top three in Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks, who returns to The Bayou after eight years around the league. The depth, however, is sorely lacking, with 2024 fifth-rounder Bub Means next on the depth chart. Given what the club went through last year with injuries to Olave and Shaheed, in addition to the 31-year-old Cooks’ withering production, some veteran help wouldn’t hurt. Cooper spent his last three seasons in Dallas with Kellen Moore — the Saints’ new head coach — as his offensive coordinator. The familiarity could help get Cooper back on track, even with potentially fewer targets available.”

Why a Cooper-Saints Pairing Makes Sense

Patra also listed the Eagles, Cardinals, Raiders, Jets, Bills, and Cowboys as other teams that could be interested in Cooper. He named Dallas as a possible suitor because of the four years Cooper spent there between 2018 and 2021.

Cooper’s offensive coordinator for all of his four seasons with the Cowboys was Kellen Moore, the first-year coach of the Saints. Additionally, New Orleans offensive assistants Doug Nussmeier and Scott Tolzien were also assistants with the Cowboys during Cooper’s time with the team.

During Amari Cooper’s four years with Moore and Nussmeier in Dallas (Tolzien was present for two), he averaged 73 catches and over 973 yards per season while catching 27 touchdowns.

It’s fairly clear that Cooper is no longer an featured receiver at this stage of his career. In New Orleans, he wouldn’t have to be. The Saints need a polished route runner to be a consistent intermediate weapon.

At 6’1″ and 211-Lbs., Amari Cooper isn’t quite the physical specimen that Michael Thomas was in his prime. However, he’s always been a precise route runner that plays physically and wins contested throws. His addition would fill exactly the need that the Saints have yet to address at all this offseason.

Tyler Shough steps up as injured Derek Carr’s future raises questions for New Orleans Saints’ $40M QB saga

Provocative Beginnings
A sudden twist in a storied franchise’s journey has fans and pundits alike questioning the very future of leadership on the field. When a top quarterback’s injury disrupted long-held plans, it forced the team to rethink its strategic direction. This unexpected change has not only rattled the standard playbook but also provided an opening for emerging voices to challenge the status quo.

Uncertainty on the Gridiron
Weeks before the NFL draft, a severe shoulder injury sidelined a veteran quarterback whose performance had been pivotal to the team’s game plan. The injury cast a long shadow over what was once considered a secure future—a future built on extensive contractual guarantees that included nearly $40 million to ensure his role as the team’s leader. With this cornerstone now in doubt, the organization’s internal dynamics have been forced to pivot rapidly.

Tyler Shough: Rising to the Challenge
In the wake of this setback, one of the rising talents has stepped into the spotlight. Tyler Shough’s recent call to address pressing strategic decisions signals not only his ambition but also his readiness to shoulder increased responsibility. Demanding a conversation with the coaching hierarchy, Shough has made it clear that the ensuing leadership vacuum must be filled through transparent dialogue and decisive action. His stance—firm, yet measured—resonates in a locker room where every player is acutely aware that the future is as unpredictable as it is bright.

Navigating the High-Stakes Transition
The restructuring of a multi-million-dollar contract had initially been envisioned as a stabilizing measure, ensuring continuity and leadership for another season. However, the injury has upended these plans, highlighting the often precarious balance between financial commitment and physical capability. The situation has spurred internal reviews and strategic debates, prompting both veteran players and emerging leaders to reevaluate their roles. It is a transformative moment that balances on the edge of risk and opportunity—a test not only of individual resolve but of the team’s collective vision.

Reflection and Future Outlook
This critical juncture serves as a reminder of the relentless unpredictability inherent in professional sports. With seasoned leadership unexpectedly challenged by unforeseen injury, the rising generation stands ready to redefine the team’s identity. As questions mount and strategic dialogues intensify, one thing remains clear—a proactive embrace of change could pave the way for a rejuvenated era. In the midst of uncertainty, the team’s next chapter promises to be a testament to resilience, innovation, and a reinvigorated commitment to excellence.