New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore cracked open the door to quarterback speculation in February when he didn’t appear to make a firm commitment to Derek Carr.
And in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Saints kicked that door wide open.
The team selected Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough with the No. 40 pick on Friday night after bypassing the position with their first-round pick (New Orleans selected Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. at No. 9).
Shough will arrive in New Orleans amid questions about Carr, who has not been in attendance during the voluntary part of the offseason program.
The Saints confirmed Carr has a shoulder injury during a pre-draft press conference on Wednesday but did not provide any further clarity about the veteran quarterback, with Moore saying the team will “let that process play itself out.”
If Carr elects to stay away from the team when offseason practices begin in May, Shough will be sharing time with Spencer Rattler, the primary starter as a rookie when Carr was injured last year, and Jake Haener, who started one game in 2024 but was benched for Rattler after a half.
“My goal is to come in there and compete and do everything I can to make the team better,” Shough said Friday after being drafted. “And I think for my situation, that’s my whole goal and I’m just really excited to work with the coaches and see a lot of my close friends and teammates that are already there. So, just super fired up for the opportunity and obviously a great franchise and a great history of quarterbacks.”
With a potential quarterback controversy brewing in New Orleans, Saints reporter Katherine Terrell answers the biggest questions about the situation with help from NFL insider Dan Graziano, plus player analysis from Steve Muench. — Terrell
With uncertainty around Carr’s injury, is Shough immediately in the QB1 conversation? What does it mean for Rattler, Haener and Ben DiNucci?
Yes, he’s in the mix for QB1. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who has been in his position since 2002, has always made it a point to try and get his coach the quarterback he wanted. Sean Payton wanted free agent Drew Brees, and Dennis Allen wanted Carr, who was signed in 2023 after the Saints failed to acquire Deshaun Watson.
The Saints haven’t invested significant draft capital in any quarterback during Loomis’ tenure, so this might be their way of giving the new coach his quarterback. It certainly seems that way after a rocky beginning to Moore’s relationship with Carr, whose status for the 2025 season and beyond is unknown.
But even taking Carr out of the equation won’t guarantee Shough sliding into the top spot. The Saints have selected QBs in the last three drafts, taking Rattler with a fifth-round pick last year. While Rattler went 0-6 in his starts for an injured Carr, it was under difficult circumstances that included Allen being fired during the season and a slew of injuries on offense.
However, it’s essentially a blank slate with a new coaching staff in place, and Rattler, who is a year younger than Shough, will likely get a chance to try to prove himself in camp against the rookie. With only so many reps to go around, this would leave either Haener or DiNucci as the odd man out.
One point in Shough’s favor is how much time he’s already spent with members of the Saints coaching staff at the Senior Bowl, Louisville’s pro day and during a pre-draft visit on April 11 — the day news of Carr’s injury broke publicly. Shough said that he’s already had good conversations with Moore, and they talked in depth about his responsibilities at Louisville and how he viewed the game.
Shough said his visit with Moore was one of his favorites from the draft process because Moore had a unique perspective on how he viewed negative plays.
“You’re going to have to talk about bad plays and bad plays are going to happen,” Shough said. “And you’re going to have good ones, but whenever those bad plays come, how do you analyze it? And he never viewed it as a negative. He used it as an opportunity to grow and it was fixable and I really love that perspective from him because he understands the position, that it’s all analytical and you can grow every single snap and play. So I love that and I took a lot out of it.” — Terrell
Does this move help the Saints’ playoff chances in a usually wide-open NFC South?
I mean… I guess, since they have no idea if Carr is going to play and Shough is likely an upgrade over Rattler.
Shough is highly regarded by people around the league as a prospect, and his age and experience indicate that he might be able to play right away. I just don’t know how many people were sitting around this offseason thinking thoughts that included the word “Saints” and also the words “playoff chances.” If Shough is the starter, he’s going to be a rookie quarterback playing for a first-time head coach on a team with, frankly, a lot of question marks on the roster. Even after using their first-round pick on an offensive lineman, the Saints’ line still needs work. The defense is aging. The receivers have had problems staying healthy.
There’s a lot of draft left and everyone has at least some degree of hope this time of year. Who knows? Maybe Shough is great out of the gate and receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed both get to 1,000 receiving yards. But on paper, it feels like Shough’s job is going to be to help operate New Orleans’ transition through a rebuilding period. — Graziano
What is New Orleans getting with Shough?
Shough started his college career at Oregon, where he backed up Justin Herbert. He missed significant time with injuries in his three seasons at Texas Tech and had his best season in 2024 at Louisville. He has a prototypical frame (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) for an NFL quarterback and makes some impressive throws. He passes into tight windows over the middle and drops the ball into the bucket throwing downfield.
Shough stands in and makes plays in the face of pressure. He protects the ball well and keeps his eyes downfield as he climbs the pocket. He extends plays and makes off-platform throws. Shough ran well at the combine with a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, and his speed makes him a threat to scramble for first downs. — Muench
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