The New Orleans Saints used a second-round pick on Tyler Shough in last year’s draft, and once he was eventually inserted in the starting lineup, he left fans with the belief that New Orleans found its franchise quarterback. Because of the promising statement he made with his play, the Saints attacked this offseason as if their quarterback position is figured out already.
That’s a message of reassurance from the franchise to the second-year quarterback, but that also comes with a level of pressure. The Saints are making it clear that they believe in Shough, so he will have to deliver once the season starts.
That pressure was recently on display in a Bleacher Report piece, where NFL writer named the best and worst-case scenarios for NFL offenses in 2026. For New Orleans, the worst-case scenario was simply Shough not improving.
Tyler Shough’s development could determine the Saints’ ceiling in 2026
Knox emphasized that the quarterback flashed a high ceiling as a rookie, so the natural expectation is for Shough to take another step in the right direction. However, the writer made note of the fact that Shough will be 27 in September, and argued that if the QB is already approaching his NFL ceiling, New Orleans’ offense may not have much improvement.
While it’s always fair to be concerned about a quarterback’s development, it’s a bit unfair to bring up Shough’s age in this situation. While he is older for his draft class, he still only has one year of experience against NFL defenses. That means he should absolutely experience the normal growth and development that comes with getting more comfortable in the NFL.
However, it is reasonable to say that Shough’s performance as a rookie has given him lofty expectations moving forward. The Saints quarterback played in 11 games, starting nine. In those games, he completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also added 186 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, and in his starts, New Orleans was 5-4.
Shough has earned the expectations that will be placed on his shoulders, and to meet them, all he has to do is keep developing.
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