Saints Poised to Trade Tyler Shough's Backup in 2026 NFL Draft

New Orleans looks to capitalize on depth at quarterback position.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 8:51pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a quarterback dropping back to pass, with the figure broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in various shades of blue, green, and orange, conveying the dynamic motion and energy of the play.The Saints' quarterback depth allows them to explore trade options, potentially adding valuable draft capital to build around their young signal-caller.New Orleans Today

The New Orleans Saints are expected to leverage their depth at quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, with the team potentially trading away the backup to starting QB Tyler Shough. Shough, who emerged as the Saints' quarterback of the future in 2025 despite the team's poor record, has solidified his status as the starter going forward.

Why it matters

The Saints' ability to trade away Shough's backup would allow them to acquire additional draft capital to address other needs on the roster, as the team looks to build around their young franchise quarterback. Quarterback depth is a valuable commodity in the NFL, and the Saints could capitalize on that by moving their current QB2.

The details

With Tyler Shough firmly entrenched as the Saints' starting quarterback, the team's current backup, Spencer Rattler, appears to be the odd man out. Rattler, a former highly-touted recruit, has struggled to find his footing in the NFL and could be expendable as the Saints look to improve the overall roster around Shough.

  • The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24-26, 2026.

The players

Tyler Shough

The New Orleans Saints' starting quarterback, who emerged as the team's quarterback of the future in 2025.

Spencer Rattler

The New Orleans Saints' current backup quarterback, who has struggled to find his footing in the NFL after being a highly-touted recruit.

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What’s next

The Saints will likely look to trade Rattler during the 2026 NFL Draft, where they can potentially acquire additional draft capital to address other needs on the roster.

The takeaway

The Saints' ability to trade away their backup quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft highlights the team's confidence in Tyler Shough as their long-term solution at the position. This move could allow the Saints to further strengthen their roster and build around their young franchise quarterback.