ESPN's Dan Graziano predicts Tyler Shough will beat out Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener to win the New Orleans Saints starting quarterback job. This has been a popular pick this offseason, but Graziano added some context to the battle.
This battle is the most important storyline for the Saints this offseason. Right now, the Saints have each quarterback leading the first-team on rotation. Rattler opened up camp with the first team before being followed by Shough and Haener the next two days.
Most eyes are on Shough and Rattler as the top contenders for the job. Graziano's comments around both of these players paints a picture that may have you questioning what you already believed about this battle, such as Shough being the unquestioned favorite.
Graziano wouldn't call Tyler Shough "Kellen Moore's pick"
Since being selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shough has been unofficially referred to as Kellen Moore's guy when discussing this quarterback battle. He was picked in the top-50 even though Rattler and Haener were already on the roster. It was logical to deem Shough that with all of the circumstances.
Graziano pushes back on that notion slightly. He wrote, "I don't know that it's fair to call him new coach Kellen Moore's pick, but obviously Moore is a fan and might enjoy a chance to build his program around the guy."
While similar, Graziano's phrasing strips away some of the preconceived notions that have surrounded the battle. Calling Shough Moore's pick/guy is not the same as saying Moore is a fan of Shough and might enjoy a chance to build with him. The latter is reflective of how Moore has framed the quarterback battle from the jump.
The timing of this report around Spencer Rattler is interesting
Graziano also mentioned Rattler has fans inside the Saints building. This isn't foreign knowledge. That was discussed after the season and leading up to the NFL draft. This has been known for a while, but reinforcing the point now feels purposeful. Saying he has fans while taking the leading the first-team rotation feels like Rattler is currently in the lead in the competition.
On the other hand, this could completely be coincidence. The basis of the article was predicting who would win the top quarterback battles in the NFL. Of course, Graziano is going to ask around and those who are fans would naturally speak highly of Rattler. Their inclusion may not have been a purposeful message being sent, but it does still paint a picture of the ongoing battle.
Combine Rattler having fans in the building with Graziano stripping away the title of Kellen Moore's pick from Shough, we have a genuinely interesting quarterback battle that could go either way. It always felt like Shough's to lose. Even though Graziano picks Shough due to being picked by the Saints in this year's draft, the article doesn't present a slanted battle.