The perception around New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has completely shifted.
New Orleans fans saw what Shough can do in the second half of the 2025 season and the national NFL audience is seeing the same. Shough went from the bench in the first half of the season to a bona fide starter in the second half worth a franchise building its entire offense around.
Shough needed just nine starts to get himself in the Rookie of the Year race and has a legit shot at winning it too. He went 5-4 as the team’s starting quarterback and over that stretch threw for 2,256 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, five interceptions, rushed for 174 yards and added three rushing scores as well.
The Saints have an exciting quarterback on their hands
New Orleans landed him with the No. 40 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 National Football League Draft but the perception around him has already shifted. So much so that when ESPN shared a 2025 NFL Draft redraft on Tuesday, they had Shough as the No. 2 pick to the Cleveland Browns.
“No. 2. Cleveland Browns,” ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi wrote. “Original pick: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado (JAX traded up). New pick: Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville. The Browns find themselves in a similar spot after failing to hit on either quarterback — Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — they drafted. Shough’s sample size (nine starts) is still small, and there’s no knowing how he would have performed with Cleveland’s supporting cast. But he impressed in less-than-ideal circumstances in New Orleans.”
There was a time midway through the 2025 season that it wasn’t even clear if Shough would be the Saints’ quarterback in 2026. He essentially had a nine-game tryout to show what he could do and played well enough to completely change the perception around himself. The vibes are high in New Orleans this offseason and they all start with the young quarterback. If he can take a step forward in 2026, New Orleans could get back to the playoffs.
