Only 3 of the 32 second-round picks have been signed.
The New Orleans Saints quarterback competition has been underway since the moment veteran Derek Carr’s retirement was announced. The added wrinkle to this competition was former Louisville QB Tyler Shough, who the Saints selected at 40th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. With a new coaching staff in place, Shough entered this position battle as the favorite against Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. Still, Rattler has performed really well in practice and is doing everything he can to make a good impression. The battle for the starting spot is way too close to call going into training camp, but one thing could sway the decision in one direction.
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Saints training camp is set to start next week on Tuesday, July 22nd, and if an agreement is not met between the Saints and Shough, he will not be able to practice. In the NFL, if a rookie is unsigned by training camp, they will have to sit out until a contract is agreed upon. Many teams are going to deal with the second-round players sitting out, and we have actually already seen this with Chargers rookie WR Tre Harris at the start of their training camp. In the Saints’ case, Tyler Shough may have to miss extremely valuable practice time. There is a near zero percent possibility that Shough himself is fine with missing this time due to the negotiations, and that is where the Saints may be able to get what they want in contract negotiations. Where it can become an issue for the New Orleans is if head coach Kellen Moore views Tyler Shough as the current starter and forces the Saints’ hand.
In the end, it would make little sense for each side to make these negotiations linger into training camp, and I do expect a resolution to be made by the 22nd. However, if Shough is forced to sit out at the beginning of training camp, Spencer Rattler could take advantage of this opportunity and secure the starting quarterback spot. With how close this competition is, any little thing, on or off the field, can sway the mind of head coach Kellen Moore.