Kellen Moore, head coach of the New Orleans Saints, is facing a wall of uncertainty just as the team limps toward December. Their 12-year veteran WR Brandin Cooks was set to be released, the team announced earlier this week. An exit agreed upon by both him and the front office. However, what was supposed to be a clean break for Cooks has now become a headache for the Saints.

As per Pro Football Talk’s reports, the Saints management modified Cooks’s contract to let him leave, but the changes didn’t just save $1.69 million. Instead, they accidentally triggered red flags in league offices. The revised deal boosted Cooks’s pay to $5.94 million for 2026, making the contract nearly impossible for another team to claim on waivers. 

It was a clever move, borrowing a page from the Odell Beckham Jr. saga, but it proved too clever for NFL Rule No. 24. Once a contract gets this kind of revision, the team can’t waive the player for the rest of the year.​ Hence, even after retracting the guarantee change, league rules state that the damage is done. What should have been an amicable departure now looks more like a standoff, with the fate of Cooks hanging in the balance and Moore left searching for solutions before November 27.

Meanwhile, rookie QB Tyler Shough’s underwhelming performance has been another cause of concern within the team. Shough, who looked up to both Rashid Shaheed and Cooks’ mentorship, has played four games and started just two games, totalling 586 passing yards and three touchdowns while posting a QBR of 46.9. Irrespective of the expectations Moore had from Shough ahead of the Rams’ game, it seems like the quarterback position in New Orleans remains unsettled.

Tyler Shough’s form a cause of concern for Kellen Moore’s Saints

Tyler Shough, a former Louisville standout, was drafted in the second round and handed the keys for a possible turnaround. His college stats painted him as a winner, but his debut is off track. The 26-year-old quarterback took over after Spencer Rattler left the Saints stuck in a 1-7 hole. But Shough couldn’t flip the script.

In his first outing as a starter, New Orleans fell 10-34 to the Rams. In the game, Shough completed just 62.5% of his passes for 176 yards and one touchdown. He did have a breakout game against the Panthers, leading the Saints to a 17-7 win. But that win didn’t fix the bigger issues for Moore’s team, which now sits at 2-8 and remains out of playoff contention. Hence, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates aimed for the franchise’s quarterback future.

“I am going to submit the card because I have some conviction on this pick being a quarterback. My top graded quarterback so far this juncture of the college football season remains Fernando Mendoza,” Yates revealed Saints’ 2026 draft pick. 

The numbers tell the story. While Shough’s college career showcased poise and power, Fernando Mendoza’s run at Indiana has grabbed national attention. With an 11-0 record and a pass efficiency of 184.8, Mendoza seems destined for the spotlight. But the question is, can Mendoza deliver everything his college stats promise, or will he end up a bust like Shough? This adds another challenge for Kellen Moore. His job just got tougher trying to find a reliable quarterback to lead the Saints forward next season.