Tyler Shough Quietly Changing Minds in New Orleans After Breakout Rookie Year

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was a polarizing prospect entering the 2025 draft, with teams unsure if he projected to more than a back-up and concerns about his advanced age (he turns 27 in September). 

Several executives who, a year ago, were sceptical about whether he could develop into a starting solution for the Saints are now singing a very different tune after a rookie season that defied expectations.

It was largely assumed a year ago that New Orleans would be significant players in 2026 QB draft class, and they were not, and while it is still too soon to crown Shough as the long-term  replacement to former Hall of Famer Drew Brees, he’s already provided strong return on a second-round selection a year ago.

“I don’t look at him and see a franchise guy,” said one longtime personnel evaluator who thought Shough was more of a mid-round quarterback prospect than the second round. 

“There isn’t that high-end ceiling you ideally look for. But I could see him sticking around there for more than one contract if he keeps building on what he did as a rookie… He’s better than I thought and he has the right mentality for the job. The decision making was pretty sound.”

An Upgrade Over Derek Carr and Others

Shough went 5-4 as a starter for a team that had been miserable in recent years and while he wasn’t pushing the ball all over the field (7.3 yards per attempt), and he was sacked too often, he also didn’t have an elite cast to work with on a rebuilding roster. 

The Saints leaned into keeping skill players some thought they might trade and used their first-round pick on a dynamic-but-injury-prone receiver (Jordyn Tyson) and have sent signals around the league about how much they liked Shough’s rookie campaign.

“Mickey [Loomis] really wants this to work,” one GM said. 

“They’ve spent a lot of money on bad teams, and their cap is always a mess. A QB on a rookie salary is a big deal for them.”

Next year’s draft class is sizing up to be far more attractive than the past two, but it also stands to reason the Saints can compete in the middling NFC South and will win too many games to be picking in the top five. 

Shough keeping that job wouldn’t be shocking at this point, though a year ago not many were buying it.