Irvine, Calif. — The Saints split training camp with a one-week trip to Southern California to avoid the grueling humidity back home, but that didn’t exactly work out during their first practice away from New Orleans.
New coach Kellen Moore cut Thursday’s practice short to get his team away from the California heatwave on a day that nearly reached 100°. Still, the 90-minute session was enough to notice that rookie Tyler Shough has improved in various areas and might be leading the team’s three-way quarterback competition.
Shough took most of the first-team reps before ending the final 11-on-11 period with the second-team offense, giving second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler some snaps with the starters. Jake Haener is also in the mix. Moore told reporters that he hasn’t yet decided how he plans to divvy up the QB snaps for the team’s preseason opener against the Chargers on Sunday, but it’s a good sign for Shough that he was first in the rotation to open the week away from home.
After up-and-down practice performances back in New Orleans, Shough displayed confidence and made quick decisions with the football, especially on throws near the sideline. The second-round signal-caller even got to show off his legs a few times. Shough is thinking less and allowing his pass catchers to make plays, according to Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
“It’s hard to think of myself as a veteran at this point,” said Shaheed, who’s heading into his fourth season. “It’s crazy, but I’m just staying in their ear, letting them [the three quarterbacks] know to stay confident and to just trust us. Trust the guys around you to make the plays for you and that’s going to be the biggest thing throughout the season with these young guys.”
The Saints don’t seem in a rush to announce a starter because they listed all three quarterbacks with the first team on their initial depth chart, but if it’s Shough, there might be some advantages to having a rookie quarterback who turns 26 in September.
Shough, who spent seven years in college, is starting to show he’s a quick learner and has plenty of veterans to lean on, including wide receiver Brandin Cooks, running back Alvin Kamara, do-it-all weapon Taysom Hill and reliable tight end Juwan Johnson. He also has a dynamic duo at wide receiver with Shaheed and Chris Olave, and an offensive line that has bookend tackles who were recent first-round picks in Taliese Fuaga (2024) and Kelvin Banks Jr. (’25).
“Even at his age he has to learn to be at the same pace that we are and I feel like he’s taking it just fine,” Shaheed said of Shough. “I feel like [his experience] is a good reason why we brought him in. He has that leadership and he’s played a lot of football in his career.”
Best thing I saw: Shough’s tight-window throw
Shough flashed his strong arm on a tight-window throw that went by multiple defenders before finding tight end Jack Stoll. The play only went for about eight yards, but he made the difficult throw seem effortless and didn’t show any hesitation despite the heavy traffic.
If it weren’t for his age and prior injuries, Shough might have been a first-round draft pick based on the vast skill set he displayed during his breakout season at Louisville. Not only does Shough have the playmakers to lean on, but he has Moore to help him reach his full potential.
“You see why he had so much success with the Eagles,” Shaheed said of Moore, the first-time head coach who was offensive coordinator for last year’s Super Bowl champs. “I’m so glad we’ve been able to take bits and pieces from what they had success with and bring it here to New Orleans. I think it’s going to have great success. Coach Moore has been nothing but great. I love his mindset and I love how he takes care of us as players. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of Ws.”
Best thing I heard: Saints ignoring the doubters
Not many are giving the Saints a chance this season because they’re coming off a dreadful five-win campaign and have a new coach and possibly a rookie starting at quarterback. Shaheed is aware of the outside noise, but he and his teammates aren’t paying attention to the preseason prognostications.
“No wins have ever happened from outside noise at any level,” Shaheed said. “We just gotta come out and compete. We know it’s going to be a dog fight, but we’re confident in ourselves. We don’t need outside noise. We don’t need anybody to let us know how good or bad we are. We know what type of team we are.”
Rookie who impressed: Banks settling in at left tackle
The Saints are hoping all their investments on the offensive line pay off in a big way this season, especially with the inexperience at quarterback. Banks starting at left tackle could be the key to finally getting the offensive line on the same page. Fuaga struggled as the team’s left tackle last year as a rookie, but he might be better suited for the right side.
Banks’s presence could also help Trevor Penning, the 2022 first-round pick who was moved to left guard after a few shaky seasons as a tackle.
Veteran who impressed: Cooks is the ultimate security blanket
Shaheed has made sure to be a veteran leader to his inexperienced quarterbacks, but that hasn’t stopped him from being Cooks’s mentee this season.
Cooks started his career in New Orleans as a first-round pick in 2014 and went on to play for the Patriots, Rams, Texans and Cowboys before returning to the Saints this offseason. On Thursday, Cooks made several plays for Shough and Rattler.
“B-Cooks is a great dude,” Shaheed said. “Since Day 1, I told him I’m going to be sticking by his side just to make sure that I’m staying on top of everything that I need to do. He’s played 12 years for a reason. I’m going to do everything that he does. I let him know that early on. He’s nothing but a leader in the room. He’s very free and open with all his tools and the mindset that it takes to have to get through a 17-game season.
“I remember watching him in college. He was a Biletnikoff Award winner, he was a stud. I used to watch his highlights all the time growing up. It’s a surreal moment, full-circle moment to have him by my side now.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Saints Camp Report: Tyler Shough Gaining Ground in Starting Battle .
