The New Orleans Saints aren’t viewed as a playoff contender in 2025 by almost everyone outside of the team facility.
Longtime offensive coordinator Kellen Moore — who led the Eagles offense to a Super Bowl victory last season— is taking over in his first head coaching role.
Moore has an impressive track record, especially when it comes to getting the most out of his quarterbacks. Dak Prescott played the best football of his NFL career when Moore was the OC for the Cowboys and last season, Jalen Hurts was one of the top quarterbacks in the league winning his first Super Bowl.
While everyone in New Orleans hopes Moore’s past success will translate into the Saints becoming playoff contenders again, it’s difficult to see a quick turnaround coming when looking at their current roster.
After finishing last season with a (5-12) record, the Saints entered the offseason with a massive problem. They had so much money tied up in the salary cap for 2025 and weren’t able to add any significant talent to a roster that struggled to be competitive on a regular basis in the NFL.
A big chunk of that money was tied up in former starting QB Derek Carr’s contract. In March, the Saints re-worked Carr’s deal, converting $10 million to a signing bonus which gave them a little breathing room for 2025. But Carr suddenly announced his retirement last month, and agreed to forfeit his $30 million salary for 2025 in exchanged for being allowed to keep the $10 million signing bonus.
While Carr stepping away isn’t ideal for the Saints when it comes to the quarterback position in 2025, the move gave them some extra money they weren‘t expecting.
But instead of trying to make a move for a veteran QB like Kirk Cousins, the New Orleans Saints are holding an open completion with Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler and this year’s second-round pick, Tyler Shough.
According to a report out of OTA’s, Shough has already looked impressive and is catching eyes in New Orleans.
Luke Johnson of NOLA.com said Shough can “absolutely spin it”
“Given about 15 plays in a seven-on-seven period, Shough made several attention-grabbing throws that showed off a varied skillset as a thrower.”
David Latham of Last Word on Sports believes Shough is already the frontrunner to start Week 1.
Nobody should react too much to offseason practices, as there’s no way to properly replicate the live NFL action. However, the Saints must be happy with the reported progress of Tyler Shough. The rookie came out the draft with serious questions, most of which revolved around his age. He will be 26 by Week 1, making him far older than every other rookie in the league.
Despite his age and injury history, he has the raw skill to succeed in the NFL. Shough has arguably the best arm in the class, and that seems to be translating to practice. If nothing else, he can make throws that a relatively unremarkable talent like Spencer Rattler simply cannot.
If Tyler Shough continues to impress, perhaps the Saints will roll with their current depth chart into the regular season.
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