Shough led all rookies with 1,316 passing yards and a 99.1 passer rating over the final five weeks, finishing that stretch with eight total touchdowns (five passing, three rushing) and 135 rushing yards, per the league. The stretch was so strong, in fact, that it put him in contention for the NFL Rookie of the Year Award, at least according to sportsbooks.
Key details (quick scroll)
- Award: NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month (December/January, Weeks 14-18)
- Line: 114-of-163 (69.9%), 1,316 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT, 99.1 rating; plus 3 rush TD
- Saints history note: First Saints QB to win the award
Shough’s finish also came with a “total offense” element that popped on film and in the box score. The league credited him with three rushing touchdowns over the final five weeks, which helped New Orleans convert in tight areas and keep defenses honest when coverage held up downfield. The NFL also noted Shough became just the second former Louisville quarterback to win Offensive Rookie of the Month, joining Lamar Jackson (December 2018), a quick way to frame how rare this kind of late-season rookie run is. For a Saints team searching for stability at quarterback, the award is a real headline.
NFL Announces Saints Rookie QB Honor for December/January
The Saints said Shough is the first quarterback in franchise history to win Offensive Rookie of the Month, a notable checkpoint in what turned into a high-volume, efficient finish to his rookie regular season.
Shough’s month came with extra context, too: New Orleans’ season didn’t end in a playoff berth, but the organization has publicly leaned into the idea that the rookie’s late run changed the tone of the offseason. The Saints finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for a fifth straight year, but closed with four wins in their final five games.
The award also landed the same week Shough’s status for 2026 started to feel less like a debate and more like a plan. ESPN reported New Orleans is preparing to move forward with Shough as its starting quarterback next season after he went 5-4 in nine starts as a rookie.
What It Means for the Saints Heading Into 2026
For Shough, the “Rookie of the Month” nod is the kind of league-stamped validation that can shape an offseason narrative, and create pressure, too.
It’s pressure on the Saints to build the offense around what worked late (tempo, efficiency, and Shough’s added rushing element), and it’s pressure on everyone else in the QB room because the franchise has now stacked: (1) the NFL award, and (2) the organizational messaging that points to Shough as the 2026 direction.
Shough finished his rookie season completing 221 of 327 passes for 2,374 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also added on 45 rushes for 186 yards and another three touchdowns.
It also matters because the league calendar is already moving. The Saints’ 2026 opponents are set, and the team has framed the offseason around turning “late momentum” into something more sustainable next fall.
