Saints commit to Tyler Shough as starting quarterback for 2026 after strong finish to rookie year

The New Orleans Saints won’t beryllium evaluating their backmost presumption overmuch this offseason, dissimilar different teams.

They judge Tyler Shough is their guy.

The second-round prime successful the 2025 NFL Draft wasn’t the Saints’ feline to commencement the season. But aft taking implicit the presumption from Spencer Rattler, Shough went 5-4 successful 9 starts to enactment himself successful the moving for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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New Orleans Saints backmost Tyler Shough runs for a touchdown during the 4th fourth against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers astatine Raymond James Stadium Dec. 7, 2025. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)

One of the main reasons was helping the Saints to a four-game triumph streak, portion impressing caput manager Kellen Moore with however helium ran the offense.

"Tyler’s done an awesome occupation done this full process," Moore said, per ESPN. "He’s gotten a ton better. He’s taken vantage of a clump of opportunities. We’re excited to person a afloat offseason to build."

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Shough was higher connected the backmost draught committee successful April, but immoderate skeptics pointed retired however galore years of assemblage shot helium played. Shough spent 3 seasons astatine Oregon and Texas Tech earlier finishing astatine Louisville successful 2024.

He was 25 years aged coming retired of college, but the Saints had him precocious connected their draught committee going into a play successful which backmost was a wide request pursuing the status of Derek Carr.

Rattler won the backmost conflict successful grooming campy implicit Shough, but aft going 1-7, Moore made the power to his rookie.

New Orleans Saints backmost Tyler Shough, left, passes the shot nether unit from Denver Broncos linebacker Jordan Turner successful the 2nd fractional of an NFL preseason crippled Aug. 23, 2025, successful New Orleans.  (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The Saints weren’t trying to unreserved Slough’s developmental process, but erstwhile they believed helium was ready, helium didn’t discarded the moment.

"Sometimes your top strengths go a weakness, and truthful I’m truly patient, I consciousness like, and whether it helps oregon not, hopefully it does," Saints GM Mickey Loomis said astir not rushing Shough. "I deliberation it does, but I’ll proceed to beryllium that way.

"Again, we’re excited astir Tyler … but we person to retrieve that helium hasn’t had 17 starts yet. So, we’re going to spell into adjacent play with these precocious expectations, and there’s thing incorrect with that.

New Orleans Saints backmost Tyler Shough throws a walk against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2nd fractional successful New Orleans Oct. 26, 2025. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)

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"He’s a second-year quarterback, and he’s had little than a afloat play to start. So, we’ve got to support that successful caput arsenic we spell forward. There are gathering blocks present and we cannot skip immoderate steps."

In 9 starts, Shough passed for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions and a 67.6% completion complaint successful 327 walk attempts.

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