Saints commit to rookie Tyler Shough as starter for 2026

The New Orleans Saints won’t be evaluating their quarterback position much this offseason, unlike other teams.

They believe Tyler Shough is their guy.

The second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft wasn’t the Saints’ guy to start the season. But after taking over the position from Spencer Rattler, Shough went 5-4 in nine starts to put himself in the running 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 Dec. 7, 2025. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)

One of the main reasons was helping the Saints to a four-game win streak, while impressing head coach Kellen Moore with how he ran the offense.

“Tyler’s done an awesome job through this entire process,” Moore said, per ESPN. “He’s gotten a ton better. He’s taken advantage of a bunch of opportunities. We’re excited to have a full offseason to build.”

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Shough was higher on the quarterback draft board in April, but some skeptics pointed out how many years of college ball he played. Shough spent three seasons at Oregon and Texas Tech before finishing at Louisville in 2024.

He was 25 years old coming out of college, but the Saints had him high on their draft board going into a season in which quarterback was a clear need following the retirement of Derek Carr.

Rattler won the quarterback battle in training camp over Shough, but after going 1-7, Moore made the switch to his rookie.

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/Gerald Herbert)

The Saints weren’t trying to rush Slough’s developmental process, but when they believed 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, hopefully it does,” Saints GM Mickey Loomis said about not rushing Shough. “I think it does, but I’ll continue to be that way.

“Again, we’re excited about Tyler … but we have to remember that he hasn’t had 17 starts yet. So, we’re going to go into next season with these 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 Oct. 26, 2025. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)

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“He’s a second-year quarterback, and he’s had less than a full season to start. So, we’ve got to keep that in mind as we go forward. There are building blocks here and we cannot skip any steps.”

In nine starts, Shough passed for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions and a 67.6% completion rate in 327 pass attempts.

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