On Tuesday July 22, the New Orleans Saints will report to training camp in Metairie, Louisiana, and they’ll be doing so with a full complement of quarterbacks to compete in one of a handful of competitions around the NFL to determine who will eventually be named a Week 1 starter. However, it was only about 48 hours ago that it appeared that the Saints may be without the co-favorite to win that job to begin training camp.
Until Saturday afternoon, rookie 2nd round pick Tyler Shough remained unsigned, but finally, the former Louisville Cardinals standout signed his first NFL contract on July 19, ensuring that he’d have just as much of an opportunity to earn that job as Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener, who were a combined 0-7 as starters in New Orleans last season. But what’s unusual about this whole situation is not that Shough signed before the start of camp… it’s the details of the deal.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints and Tyler Shough reached an agreement on a fully-guaranteed $10.795 contract on July 19, continuing the trend of numerous 2nd round selections receiving fully-guaranteed deals. Where things get a little weird is when you look at when Shough is receiving his payday.
“The contract also includes annual Roster Bonus structure, which no other non-first round pick has, whereby Shough receives the majority of his compensation each year during the first week of training camp,” Schefter noted on X.
The only question now is, will it be Shough, Rattler or Haener who is the Saints’ opening week starter when the Arizona Cardinals come marching into New Orleans on September 7.
Rattler’s Experience Could Provide Edge Over Shough’s Upside
Although the Saints have more invested in Tyler Shough than they do Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener, don’t be too quick to assume that first-year head coach Kellen Moore will immediately pencil Shough in as his starter. The 25-year-old rookie will need to earn the job, and beyond that, he’ll not only need to prove to the Saints coaching staff that he gives the team the best chance to win, but also that a potentially disastrous rookie year won’t break him either.
“Though the New Orleans Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round this year, heâs a bit rough around the edges,” writes Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network on July 20. “They could look to start somebody else so as to not rush Shoughâs development. Believe it or not, Spencer Rattler is the most experienced starting QB they have. It could make sense to play it safer with him as their starter first.”
Will Tyler Shough End Saints’ Quarterback Drought?
From 2006 to 2020, the New Orleans Saints had one of the NFL’s most reliable quarterback situations, starting the insanely prolific and remarkably durable Drew Brees in 228 of 240 possible games. In that time, Brees threw for over 68,000 yards, 491 touchdowns, and won 62 percent of his games.
But since Brees retired following the 2020 season, the Saints have started eight different quarterbacks who could come close to putting up the numbers or the wins that fans in New Orleans had grown used to.
Asking Tyler Shough to become the next Drew Brees is an outlandish request. Brees retired with countless league and team records to his name, and he arrived in The Big Easy with multiple years of starting experience — both at the collegiate and pro level — under his belt. Shough has neither of those. All that the Saints can ask for from Shough, at least right now, is consistency and progression.
If he can manage that, the Saints’ unusual investment in him will be worth it.
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