The New Orleans Saints' need for a quarterback skyrocketed up their priority list due to Derek Carr's shoulder injury. During the NFL Draft, the Saints addressed that need by selecting Tyler Shough out of Louisville in the second round. With Shough on board, the Saints had five quarterbacks on their depth chart, meaning that one had to go.
For Moore, he had to move on from a quarterback he had familiarity with from his days as offenive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys ā Ben DiNucci. On Tuesday, DiNucci was released by the Saints, news that he confirmed himself on X.
The NFL is a tough business.
ā Ben DiNucci (@B_DiNucci6) April 29, 2025
Always has been and always will be.
Got released by the Saints this morning.
Control what I can control and go back to work š¤š»
Kellen Moore moves on from former Cowboys QB Ben DiNucci after drafting Tyler Shough
Moore began his coaching career with the Cowboys in 2018, first as a quarterbacks coach before ultimately getting promoted to offensive coordinator the following year. While Moore has worked mostly exclusively with Dak Prescott, there were a variety of other quarterbacks he had to get ready for game day, and DiNucci was one of them.
DiNucci was selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With Prescott suffering a broken right ankle and Andy Dalton dealing with a concussion, DiNucci was given a start in Week 8 that year. Facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles, DiNucci completed 21-of-40 pass attempts for 180 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the 23-9 loss.
While DiNucci was unlikely to start for the Saints this upcoming season, he has familiarity with Moore's offense. With that, he would have been a resource for those trying to get a feel for the first-time head coach's playbook. But with a second-round quarterback prospect coming in, someone had to go, and it happened to be DiNucci.
Moore obviously thought highly of Shough, as the Saints picked him over other quarterbacks like Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe. Shough has plenty of playing experience during college, but will turn 26 years old during the 2025 season. But Shough received plenty of praise throughout the pre-draft process, resulting in his draft stock soaring.
This past season with Louisville, Shough threw for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions on a 62.7 completion percentage.
With Shough on board and possibly with a real chance to compete, DiNucci was shown the door in New Orleans.