There are a million different ways to develop a quarterback in the National Football League. At the beginning of this week, Kellen Moore revealed how he chose to develop Tyler Shough to become the potential future of the New Orleans Saints.
Moore, who is a former NFL quarterback himself, said that not starting quarterbacks right away benefited a lot of players. "You can just look at the history of quarterbacks in this league," He said to the media. "Every path is different for these quarterbacks, but I think there's a lot of benefit to guys who've been able to sit for a little bit."
Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, sat the first eight games of the 2025 season. "It's all benefited him," Moore said when asked if sitting the second-round draft pick helped him develop. "I think it's put him in a really good position to be successful. The opportunity then presented itself, and he's really taken advantage of that."
Some HOF QBs have started their career from the bench
Kellen Moore wasn't wrong when saying that for some quarterbacks, sitting the first couple of games or their first season is how their Hall of Fame career got started. Just look at Tom Brady (who sat behind Drew Bledsoe for a season plus a few games), Patrick Mahomes III (who sat behind Alex Smith for a season), and Phillip Rivers (who sat behind Drew Brees for two seasons).
Tyler Shough really got off to a running start once he finally got the reins of the offense. It's easy to imagine what would have happened if Shough started from Week 1. At the same time, developing in the shadows is a part of his journey. We might not have seen the same version of Shough if he didn't have that opportunity.
With only six games under his belt, Shough has tied multiple team records and has even set some of his own. On track to break more records before the season is over, many people are saying that the Saints might have their guy. Heading into week 15, Shough has 144 completions for 1,484 passing yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions.