When the New Orleans Saints drafted Tyler Shough, there was a clear expectation he would be the Saints starting quarterback. There were still questions about Derek Carr's availability in 2025, but there were no questions about Shough's role. He was viewed as the quarterback of the future once Carr left New Orleans.
Bleacher Report's Damian Parson feels these expectations place pressure on Shough to not allow Spencer Rattler to take the starting role. Parson has a point on how Shough starting the season on the bench would look a certain way.
Kellen Moore handpicked Tyler Shough to be the Saints quarterback
There was, and still is, an expectation this job is Shough's to lose. He was Kellen Moore's second draft pick and a top-50 selection. There's a clear investment in the rookie that signals how the organization views him. That, however, does not equate to him being handed the job.
Shough's draft position only means he was highly valued by the team through the draft process. It even likely means if the quarterback battle is close, the natural edge will go to Shough. However, a battle opens the door to either side winning.
Spencer Rattler is still a part of the quarterback equation. It may be an uphill battle but it is still a winnable situation. So far, he's been impressive through minicamp and organized team activities. It's early, but the improvements Rattler has made are notable.
Spencer Rattler winning the job would raise doubt
If Rattler wins the starting quarterback role, the immediate reaction would be fans feeling selecting Shough was unnecessary. The Shough pick was already met with much doubt in April. Part of that had to do with the fact Shedeur Sanders was still on the board.
The New York Giants selected Jaxson Dart, but the Saints picking Shough was the first time the general public became highly critical of a quarterback going ahead of Sanders.
That opinion also came from Saints fans who didn't see the vision. Clips showcasing Shough’s arm talent and reviews from media at practices have calmed down the heat. Still, losing the job would cause the criticism to rise again, especially because there was a contingent of people who wanted Rattler to start this year in the first place.
The floodgates of questions would inevitably open up. "Would Shedeur have won the competition?" "Why did we need to pick a quarterback at all if Rattler was going to start?" "What other position was on the board we could have picked?"
These are all questions that could and likely would be asked if Shough doesn't win the competition versus Rattler. The pressure is on Shough to keep those questions from seeing the light of day, justify his draft positioning and prove the Saints right.