Saints could trade away QB who was better than Tyler Shough this past season

The New Orleans Saints are finally turning the corner as a franchise after Drew Brees left five years ago. While it's taken a while, the Saints look to have found their answer at quarterback with Tyler Shough.

But, with Shough's emergence as the starter comes the possibility of a trade with backup quarterback, and 2024 draft pick Spencer Rattler.

ESPN's Aaron Schatz named Rattler as the Saints player in need of a change of scenery, which makes a lot of sense. But, in trading away Rattler, the Saints would be moving on from the quarterback who played better than Shough last season.

Saints could trade Spencer Rattler despite having better season by QBR than Tyler Shough

"The Saints have clearly committed to Tyler Shough as their starter now," Schatz writes. "But Rattler had a very respectable 50.1 QBR in eight starts in 2025, which was higher than Shough's 48.8."

Schatz also noted that Rattler, "showed a better grasp of the mental aspects of the position last season," to go with impressive physical traits. Combined with his QBR being better than Shough's, there's a case to be made that Rattler is better than Shough.

But, is that really the case? Rattler had 1,586 passing yards, eight touchdowns, a 67.7% completion rate, and five interceptions in eight starts.

Meanwhile, Shough had 2,384 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, a 67.7% completion rate, and six interceptions across nine starts and 11 appearances.

Shough's passer rating was a 91.3, while his QBR was a 48.8. Rattler's rating was an 86.5, while his QBR was a 50.3. While Rattler is better in one category, Shough is better in the other.

More: Saints urged by NFL analyst to land a playmaker for Tyler Shough this offseason

They've both proven to be, at worst, solid starter options. But for the Saints, the biggest difference is that Shough averaged a lot more yards per game (217.7) than Rattler (176.2) this past season. Shough has three years on his rookie deal to Rattler's two, and Shough is the far better runner.

Some team should take a chance on Rattler, and the Saints should move on from him this offseason to help build up other areas of the roster.

While Rattler might have a"better season" than Shough based on QBR, the bulk of their statistics favor Shough as the better starter.

There's zero doubt that Shough is the choice over Rattler, especially with how clutch Shough was at times in 2025. Shough is the answer at quarterback, and the Saints should have no doubts about it.

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