Saints could use 2026 NFL Draft to trade away Tyler Shough's backup

The New Orleans Saints are finally turning the corner as a franchise, and it's thanks in large part to the team seemingly finding their quarterback of the future in Tyler Shough.

He looked great in 2025, and even though the team finished with a poor record, he proved he is the starter going forward. With Shough entrenched in the starting lineup, backup quarterback Spencer Rattler has become expendable.

And instead of holding onto him for another year, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report believes that the Saints could use the 2026 NFL Draft as a chance to trade Rattler away.

Saints could trade Spencer Rattler during NFL Draft

"The New Orleans Saints and Specner Rattler appear to be headed towards a breakup," Kay writes. "With Tyler Shough securing the starting role and Zach Wilson recently joining the team to compete for a depth role, Rattler looks to be the odd man out in the Big Easy."

Rattler is sure to draw some trade interest, and with Kay's comments in mind, seeing Rattler dealt would not be a surprise for the Saints at all.

Landing draft picks in return for Rattler to be a backup or join a quarterback competition elsewhere wouldn't be a terrible idea.

He has two years of control left on his rookie deal, making him a bit more appealing than a typical quarterback trade target. He could garner plenty of interest from QB-needy teams and teams looking for a stop-gap or rental option with full-time starter upside.

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Rattler, in two seasons and 16 total games (14 starts) for the Saints the last two years, has looked like a decent QB. He has a 62.7% completion rate with 2,903 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

His production lately has been better, with his 1,586 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions this past season in eight starts being a good deal better than his production in 2024.

Rattler might not be the best quarterback a team could acquire this offseason during the draft, but he has two years of control and has shown some intrigue as a starting QB option.

A team like the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, and other QB-needy teams without a clear-cut starter could turn to Rattler as a trade target.

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