VIDEO Q&A: Spencer Rattler & Tyler Shough talk about the competition to become Saints QB1
Updated: 7:38 PM CDT May 22, 2025
QB is gonna be able to use his legs like you’ve seen what he’s done with uh QBs in the past, um, you know, I don’t wanna give away too much but um it’s been, it’s been great, man. I think the receivers, the tight ends, the running backs, everybody’s gelling well with this offense and O line as well. I mean, um, like I said, it feels smooth, feels good out there right now, obviously gotta install more, but you know we’re pretty deep into the playbook and, uh, it feels good. But the things that you said you were working on over the course of the offseason, how do you feel like that aligns with those elements of McKellen more often? Yeah, I think. I think just overall just body twitchness body quickness um mental quickness I think that that all you know kind of ties into what we’re doing now you know with Kellen and his offense, um. You know, I think no matter what offense and you wanna work on areas you wanna improve, um, but overall I feel good right now. I wanna keep, keep improving. Did you watch Brandon Cooks from afar kind of growing up and then what’s it like to have him on this roster? Oh yeah, I remember when I was young and he was at, um, Oregon State and obviously know he started his career out here and you know we’ve been able to, you know, create *** pretty good relationship, you know, he’s one of our best vets, you know, super experienced in this league and obviously has *** lot of talent, you know, on the offense. Spencer, obviously it was circumstance and it doesn’t guarantee anything, but how, how special or important was it for you to spend that portion of phase one, phase two breaking down the huddle at the end of every project kind of being, you know, the QB1 for the guys that were here. Yeah, no, um, felt good, you know, um. You know, not nothing’s promised, so you wanna work every day you wanna lead your guys, you know, being the quarterback, um, gotta have confidence out there, gotta have *** little swag and, uh, just, you know, get your teammates to believe in you. I was gonna say that one thing with with Brandy Cooks is that that excites you when you’re thinking, all right, I have *** healthy slave. I’ve got *** healthy ishshahi and I can add Brandy Cooks. Is that, is that exciting to think of the potential weapons you have for this office? Oh man, like, yeah, like Chris just told me he’s like, yep, got all of us out there now, so, um, looks *** little different, feels *** little different, and, uh, those guys look great, man. With the NFL allowing players to be in the Olympics, which one of your teammates is somebody that would be *** good community versus black football? I mean you you can’t you can’t miss on the Lave and Shaheed those guys I don’t know who what country is gonna guard those guys um but uh yeah those guys are good and shoot why not me? I wanna go out there too. When you’re *** professional, no matter the talk outside the building, whether the expectations are low or high, how do you go to work and do your job? Say it one more time sorry outside the building, the expectations for the team are high or low, how do you avoid dipping into that and just go to work and do your job every day. Yeah, it’s just part of the beast, you know, um, it’s always gonna be talking points always gonna be, you know, expectations high low, whatever they may be. Um, just control what you can. I know I’ve said that plenty of times, but it’s true, you know, control what you can, um, continue to improve and what you need to get better at and just keep working with your team. How much has your confidence changed from last year to right now? I mean, I feel like I’ve always been pretty confident, you know, even if it’s up and down you gotta maintain that that confidence, um, but I guess you could say I’m *** little more comfortable now, you know, going in the year two, obviously nowhere near where I wanna be, um, but feel good right now. yeah. How has OTAs been for you so far? 3 days behind you? Good, it’s been really good just getting to know everybody, um, getting chemistry with the guys. I think it’s been the biggest thing is you got new faces obviously you’re building the new installs every single day so been feeling really good about that, um, starting to just kind of connect with the guys even more. And you’re rotating in and out with Spencer right now the one Haer before, but how has that been trying to get acclimated to different groups of guys? It’s been good. I mean, it’s part of it. You gotta go in there and operate. You got *** taste of that in mini camp. You got brand new faces, um, expectations you gotta go out there and perform, and, um, I love it and I think you just see the level of play here with *** lot of and she and the kind of veterans that we have at line. It’s really, really cool to come in and operate. I feel *** lot more prepared, you know, being kind of an older rookie coming in, you know, not being as nervous to develop those relationships, but knowing that’s my whole job is to continue to to earn my role and do everything I can. Coach talked about picking up on the language pretty quickly like *** 10 or play count or whatever it is like how are you with the language of the office so far? It’s been good, yeah, I think that helped me out at Louisville this past year having that, um, huddle mechanics the whole time coming in through the the headset, um, just basically getting your feet wet there and then now you can kind of come into this hitting the ground running and, and obviously you know I’m not gonna be perfect. There’s gonna be we’re we’re learning every day and. Um, I think that’s my whole goal is to make sure, you know, I know my job and I can go, you know, get the ball out to those guys who make plays. Do you feel any, any like pressure at all, you know, being the highest drafted QB that the franchise has had since, uh, Archie Manning? No, I think like I said before, my, my, my whole thing is, um, these guys are so talented and we got everything that it takes from. The coaching standpoint who’s done it at all levels, I just gotta do my job and and do everything that you know they brought me here to do and just be myself. Can you talk to us about that, uh, pumping, pump fake. Yeah, yeah, we just had *** little double move on, um, you know, we’re building through the installs so naturally, you know, shorter bass plays are in the beginning we’ll start kind of get into more um exotic ones but yeah it’s been good to. Develop um that chemistry with the guys like Sheet and he’s he saw him go out there and go make the play so he’s he’s got some, some big playability. So Tyler, what’s that quarterback like that you guys are actually in there? It’s been really good. Yeah, it’s been *** lot of fun. um, I mean we’re all around the same age, um, speak the same language, you know, we’ve, um, obviously Spencer and I are from the same area, Jake from California. He we all been around each other, so I think that’s been the fun part is just learning this offense together, bouncing ideas off of each other and, and competing. How’s that first conversation with just like you know when you got here just kind of kind of as he got you into this this program and kind of thing what what kind of some of the advice or things that he was talking to you about? Um, we’re just bouncing ideas off of each other and more. I mean, it’s kind of, um, really like *** reunion but still kind of catching up still, you know, it’s *** new offense we knew each other *** little bit previously so it’s all been really friendly and having fun, you know, we’re out there competing on in every little thing Indy. Net drills, footwork, you know, all that stuff. That’s the fun part about this job, and it’s we’re going out there we’re trying to get better, you know. I’m obviously I’m *** year older, but he’s been *** year, um, ***, uh, *** *** year longer, excuse me, so the, the league *** year longer and we’re trying to just keep going and keep growing and keep building. It’s not I guess right now because we’re not really in the thick of it it’s it’s not *** competition at least it is like hey let’s let’s figure this kind of thing out first before we really get into the need of like this. Oh no, I’m competing every day. No, we’re competing every day. I think that’s that’s part of it. It’s part of this job that’s why you know I love this game so much is you gotta come out there and compete and. And get better and and and yeah so what’s been the biggest, I mean we talked about *** little bit there, but adjusting to, you know, NFL system Kellen system, these, these first couple of uh weeks, I mean what, what’s been the biggest adjustment for you from that perspective? Um, just new, new verbiage, I think obviously I, I’ve been in 5 or 6 offenses before, so it’s, it’s unlearning those, and you know, *** lot of the same plays are in or different ways to get to it. So, um, when you’re in and out of the huddle, you have to be in, you know, have to be very, very fast. So just unlearning the previous language and learning that and so far it’s been good and, um, just trying to find that perfection that way. how how, how long back do you go? you talk to that talk you hear our voices.
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VIDEO Q&A: Spencer Rattler & Tyler Shough talk about the competition to become Saints QB1
Updated: 7:38 PM CDT May 22, 2025
New Orleans Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore’s own experience tells him that NFL teams can win without an accomplished quarterback.Moore was playing for Dallas when the Cowboys selected Dak Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.Prescott won the starting job as a rookie and went 13-3, passing for 23 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions.And Moore doesn’t hesitate to mention that when asked about the fact that the four QBs on the Saints roster right now have a combined seven NFL starts — and no wins — among them.“It’s all about opportunities,” Moore said.Prescott “hopped in there and played great and certainly there’s a lot of other quarterbacks through the history of this game who’ve done it in a similar fashion,” Moore continued. “So, we feel like we’ve got some young guys who are ready to roll.”Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough became the second draft choice of the Moore era when the Saints selected him early in the second round last month. That made Shough the highest QB picked by the Saints since they took Archie Manning second overall in 1971.“A lot of things you can’t control,” Shough said Thursday after the Saints wrapped up their third voluntary offseason practice. “But you can control your preparation, your attitude, your effort — and that’s one thing I’m going to do.”For now, Shough is a front-runner to be New Orleans’ starter in Week 1, along with second-year pro Spencer Rattler, a 2024 fifth-rounder, who started six games — all losses — as a rookie last season while Derek Carr — who unexpectedly retired this month — was injured.Shough, who turns 26 on Sept. 28, spent seven seasons with three college programs before turning pro, and his relative maturity has been evident to Moore.“He’s a really, really prepared quarterback,” Moore said. “He can handle NFL volume. He’s handled the playbook tremendously.”Rattler said he didn’t envision entering his second NFL season as the most experienced QB on New Orleans’ roster, but was grateful for the opportunities he was given last season, even as the Saints struggled to a 5-12 record.“It helps a lot just with the speed of everything, understanding what you’re going to see week in and week out,” Rattler said.“You can’t put too much pressure on yourself,” Rattler added. “It’s Year 2 — a great opportunity ahead of me.”Jake Haener, a 2023 fourth-round pick out of Fresno State, made his lone start last season and aims to be in the mix after he returns from a recent oblique injury that could sideline him for several weeks.“I’m not dumb. Everybody’s probably counting me as the least likely factor to have any success,” Haener said. “So I’m worried about what I can control at all times and nothing else. … I’ve always been the underdog.”New Orleans also signed undrafted rookie Hunter Dekkers after offering the former Iowa State lefty a rookie camp tryout.“He has some tremendous ability,” Moore said.While it’s unusual for an NFL team to open a season without any QBs who’ve won an NFL game, it’s not rare.That was the case when Green Bay went with rookies Jordan Love and Sean Clifford in 2023. Same with Cincinnati in 2020, Joe Burrow’s rookie season. Both clubs were playoff bound within two seasons.On the flip side, the New York Jets have largely struggled since opening 2021 with Zach Wilson and Mike White as their active QBs.“There’s been lots of quarterback rooms around the league over the years where they’ve got a young group and they’ve got to develop them,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said. “I wouldn’t say it’s ideal, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt.”Loomis and Moore wouldn’t rule out adding a veteran QB under the right circumstances, but haven’t listed that as a priority.Loomis also dismissed the notion that Saints veterans might question the club’s urgency to win if they don’t pick up a more proven QB.“I haven’t heard that,” Loomis said, but added he was confident that Moore, offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and QBs coach Scott Tolzien — all former NFL QBs themselves — would have whoever wins the job well prepared.Moore “understands the position,” Loomis emphasized. “He understands what he needs to ask from these guys at this stage of their career.”Veteran tight end Foster Moreau said experienced players know better than to make too many assumptions about unproven teammates at any position.“These are the cards that we were dealt,” Moreau said. “We’re going to see what our cards are really worth. So, I’m excited to figure it out.”
New Orleans Saints first-year coach Kellen Moore’s own experience tells him that NFL teams can win without an accomplished quarterback.
Moore was playing for Dallas when the Cowboys selected Dak Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.
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Prescott won the starting job as a rookie and went 13-3, passing for 23 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions.
And Moore doesn’t hesitate to mention that when asked about the fact that the four QBs on the Saints roster right now have a combined seven NFL starts — and no wins — among them.
“It’s all about opportunities,” Moore said.
Prescott “hopped in there and played great and certainly there’s a lot of other quarterbacks through the history of this game who’ve done it in a similar fashion,” Moore continued. “So, we feel like we’ve got some young guys who are ready to roll.”
Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough became the second draft choice of the Moore era when the Saints selected him early in the second round last month. That made Shough the highest QB picked by the Saints since they took Archie Manning second overall in 1971.
“A lot of things you can’t control,” Shough said Thursday after the Saints wrapped up their third voluntary offseason practice. “But you can control your preparation, your attitude, your effort — and that’s one thing I’m going to do.”
For now, Shough is a front-runner to be New Orleans’ starter in Week 1, along with second-year pro Spencer Rattler, a 2024 fifth-rounder, who started six games — all losses — as a rookie last season while Derek Carr — who unexpectedly retired this month — was injured.
Shough, who turns 26 on Sept. 28, spent seven seasons with three college programs before turning pro, and his relative maturity has been evident to Moore.
“He’s a really, really prepared quarterback,” Moore said. “He can handle NFL volume. He’s handled the playbook tremendously.”
Rattler said he didn’t envision entering his second NFL season as the most experienced QB on New Orleans’ roster, but was grateful for the opportunities he was given last season, even as the Saints struggled to a 5-12 record.
“It helps a lot just with the speed of everything, understanding what you’re going to see week in and week out,” Rattler said.
“You can’t put too much pressure on yourself,” Rattler added. “It’s Year 2 — a great opportunity ahead of me.”
Jake Haener, a 2023 fourth-round pick out of Fresno State, made his lone start last season and aims to be in the mix after he returns from a recent oblique injury that could sideline him for several weeks.
“I’m not dumb. Everybody’s probably counting me as the least likely factor to have any success,” Haener said. “So I’m worried about what I can control at all times and nothing else. … I’ve always been the underdog.”
New Orleans also signed undrafted rookie Hunter Dekkers after offering the former Iowa State lefty a rookie camp tryout.
“He has some tremendous ability,” Moore said.
While it’s unusual for an NFL team to open a season without any QBs who’ve won an NFL game, it’s not rare.
That was the case when Green Bay went with rookies Jordan Love and Sean Clifford in 2023. Same with Cincinnati in 2020, Joe Burrow’s rookie season. Both clubs were playoff bound within two seasons.
On the flip side, the New York Jets have largely struggled since opening 2021 with Zach Wilson and Mike White as their active QBs.
“There’s been lots of quarterback rooms around the league over the years where they’ve got a young group and they’ve got to develop them,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said. “I wouldn’t say it’s ideal, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt.”
Loomis and Moore wouldn’t rule out adding a veteran QB under the right circumstances, but haven’t listed that as a priority.
Loomis also dismissed the notion that Saints veterans might question the club’s urgency to win if they don’t pick up a more proven QB.
“I haven’t heard that,” Loomis said, but added he was confident that Moore, offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and QBs coach Scott Tolzien — all former NFL QBs themselves — would have whoever wins the job well prepared.
Moore “understands the position,” Loomis emphasized. “He understands what he needs to ask from these guys at this stage of their career.”
Veteran tight end Foster Moreau said experienced players know better than to make too many assumptions about unproven teammates at any position.
“These are the cards that we were dealt,” Moreau said. “We’re going to see what our cards are really worth. So, I’m excited to figure it out.”
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