A major question surrounding the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 53-man roster deadline was whether they kept three quarterbacks. Tyler Shough was set in stone, but trade rumors swirled around Spencer Rattler, and Zach Wilson was a cut candidate. Despite this, Kellen Moore kept both options, which tells a lot about his view on the room.
Historically, the Saints have preferred to keep three quarterbacks, doing so in eight of the last 10 seasons. However, it wasn't a given, as last year they only kept Shough and Rattler. Many fans expected this new trend to continue in 2026, with the same two making it, but that changed after Wilson made headlines throughout training camp and the preseason.
After this, trade speculation escalated around Rattler, as it appeared Wilson was overtaking him. He wasn’t getting cut because of his youth and potential, but shipping him off for draft capital was an intriguing option. In fact, the Jacksonville Jaguars inquired about Rattler, according to Nick Underhill. Nevertheless, the Saints stood with the third-year quarterback and retained him.
Keeping three quarterbacks shows the quarterback battle isn’t over.
Right now, Rattler has the advantage in the backup quarterback battle after an impressive preseason performance against the Dallas Cowboys. But the Saints wouldn’t have kept Wilson if they believed it was over. Kellen Moore clearly thinks the former second-overall pick has more to show and wants to keep the fight going throughout the season.
If Rattler is the backup, Wilson has an uphill battle to dethrone him. He would need to dominate Rattler in practice with no preseason games remaining. But anything can happen in the NFL. All it takes is one injury for everything to fall apart and for someone to seize the role.
Injuries are another reason that Moore kept three quarterbacks. Tyler Shough remained healthy in 2025, but his availability was a major debate in his pre-draft evaluation, as he suffered two broken collarbones and one broken fibula in college.
These aren’t soft tissue injuries and are more likely than not one-time deals, but it shows that Shough is vulnerable to missing time. As a result, it makes sense to keep two viable backups who can fill in and run the offense.
Only time will tell if keeping three quarterbacks was the right move, but it’s an understandable play by Kellen Moore and gives the Saints valuable insurance. Additionally, it gives them more time to evaluate who should be the backup. Hopefully, Tyler Shough is healthy in 2026, making this conversation is null in void, but you can’t count on that in the NFL.
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