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The New Orleans Saints won’t be evaluating their quarterback position much this offseason, unlike other teams.
They believe Tyler Shough is their man.
The second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was not the guy for the Saints to start the season. But after taking over for Spencer Rattler, Shough went 5-4 in nine starts to put himself in contention for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on December 7, 2025. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)
One of the biggest reasons was helping the Saints to a four-game winning streak, while impressing head coach Kellen Moore with the way he ran the offense.
“Tyler has done a tremendous job throughout this whole process,” Moore said, according to ESPN. “He’s improved a lot. He’s taken advantage of a lot of opportunities. We’re excited to have a full offseason to build on.”
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Shough was higher on the quarterback draft board in April, but some skeptics pointed out how many years he played college ball. Shough spent three seasons at Oregon and Texas Tech before finishing at Louisville in 2024.
He was 25 out of college, but the Saints had him high on their draft board heading into a season in which quarterback was a clear need following Derek Carr’s retirement.
Rattler won the quarterback battle in training camp against Shough, but after going 1-7, Moore moved on to his rookie year.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, left, passes the ball under pressure from Denver Broncos linebacker Jordan Turner in the second half of an NFL preseason game, Aug. 23, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gérald Herbert)
The Saints weren’t trying to rush Slough’s development process, but when they thought he was ready, he didn’t waste the moment.
“Sometimes your greatest strengths become a weakness, and so I’m really patient, I feel like, and whether it helps or not, I hope it does,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said about not rushing Shough. “I think so, but I will continue to be like this.
“Again, we’re excited for Tyler…but we have to remember he hasn’t had 17 starts yet. So we’re going to go into next season with those high expectations, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half in New Orleans on October 26, 2025. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)
“He’s a second-year quarterback and he’s had less than a full season to start with. So we have to keep that in mind as we move forward. There are building blocks here and we can’t skip any steps.”
In nine starts, Shough passed for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions and had a 67.6% completion rate on 327 pass attempts.
