“Saints Rookie Tyler Shough Set to Clinch QB1 Spot in Training Camp Shake‑Up”

The New Orleans Saints have quite an interesting quarterback battle on their hands.

Following Derek Carr's sudden retirement due to injury, the Saints have been left with Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and rookie Tyler Shough in their quarteback room. This trio is battling for the starting job throughout training camp and the preseason, while there's nobody that really stands out yet.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox recently suggested it was "easy to assume" the Saints will open the season with Shough rather than Rattler or Haener.

"If there's a rookie QB who can truly win the starting job in the preseason, it's Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints. The Louisville product essentially walked into an open QB competition due to the injury, and later retirement, of veteran Derek Carr," Knox wrote. "Shough is now competing with second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler and third-year quarterback Jake Haener for the Week 1 gig.

"That battle is still in its early stages with 'no obvious' front-runner, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell. That will change as New Orleans gets deeper into the preseason. Haener and Rattler both got opportunities last season, and the Saints used a second-round pick on Shough. Therefore, it's easy to assume that New Orleans is ready to pivot to the rookie."

Shough is the easy pick to start the season.

The Saints used Haener and Rattler last season, and it was ugly. While this duo has likely improved over the last year, there's no reason to believe either is ready to win games at the NFL level.

The team opted to use a second-round pick on Shough, which goes to show their confidence in him already. As long as he doesn't have a disastrous training camp and preseason, the job seems to be his for the taking.