Taken second overall in the 1971 NFL Draft after a revered career at Ole Miss, Archie Manning entered the ensuing season as the New Orleans Saints starting quarterback.
In the time since, Manning spent 14 years in the league. Two of his sons -- Peyton and Eli -- tallied a combined 36 years in the NFL, four Super Bowl triumphs and 18 Pro Bowl selections.
In all the autumns that have come and gone for the Saints since the fall of '71, Manning remains the only rookie quarterback to have ever started a Week 1 game for New Orleans.
Thusly, Tyler Shough could make Saints history as he embarks upon a quarterback competition with the aim of becoming New Orleans' first Week 1 rookie starter since Manning, and just the franchise's second overall.
Shough is vying to become rookie head coach Kellen Moore's starter by winning a battle to fill the void cause by the retiring Derek Carr when he squares off with the similarly inexperienced Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler.
There's always a chance a veteran signee could be added to the room, but Moore nor Saints general manager Mickey Loomis has indicated that's imminent.
Shough, a Louisville product, was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft at No. 40 overall -- the third QB taken. He's the third-highest QB selection in Saints chronicle following Manning at No. 2 overall and Bo Burris at 27th overall (second round at the time) in 1967. Burris played quarterback in college at Houston, but defensive back for the Saints.
Highest-drafted quarterbacks in Saints history (per NFL Research)
| Quarterback | Draft year | Draft selection |
|---|---|---|
| Archie Manning | 1971 | Round 1, No. 2 overall |
| Bo Burris | 1967 | Round 2, No. 27 overall |
| Tyler Shough | 2025 | Round 2, No. 40 overall |
Shough's hardly your average rookie. He will turn 26 on Sept. 28, after seven seasons of college ball with Oregon (three years), Texas Tech (three) and Louisville (one), where he's coming off a campaign in which he threw for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
In all those years, though, he played in just 42 total games with nary 32 starts.
He'll be competing with the 26-year-old Haener, a 2023 fourth-round pick of the Saints, and Rattler, a 24-year-old 2024 fifth-round selection of New Orleans.
Despite being the youngest of the bunch, Rattler has the most NFL starting experience.
Fewest wins by rookie QBs for active franchises since 1950 (per NFL Research)
| Franchise | Total wins by rookie QB |
|---|---|
| Saints | 5 |
| Chiefs | 7 |
| Raiders | 9 |
| Vikings | 13 |
| Packers | 14 |
He started six games as a rookie in place of an injured Carr, while Haener made just one start -- his first and only as a pro -- last year.
Rattler went 0-6 as a starter in 2024 for a 5-12 Saints team.
His winless run extended the longest active drought for a club without a win by a rookie QB, according to NFL Research. New Orleans last won a game with a rookie signal-caller starting all the way back in Week 10, 1981, when Dave Wilson quarterbacked the Saints past the Los Angeles Rams, 21-13.
It was the last of just five wins by the Saints with a rookie QB at the helm, per NFL Research. That's the lowest tally since at least 1950.
Quite simply, the Saints have been starved for rookie QB success for the vast majority of their NFL history.
Shough will have to win the job first before he can win a game. He'll have to get by Rattler and Haener, who's dealing with a minor oblique injury at the moment.
Considering his draft status, Shough is the big favorite to get the QB1 gig this offseason.
Should he go ahead and do that, he'll make history by becoming the first New Orleans Week 1 rookie starter since Manning more than five decades ago.
