New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough proved a lot of people wrong in his first year as a pro. Bucky Brooks, a former NFL player and current NFL Network analyst, straight up admitted he was wrong about the QB.
Brooks said that he was skeptical when he was announced as the QB1 back in late October. "he delivered an eye-popping performance down the stretch, completing nearly 70 percent of his throws for 2,080 yards and nine TDs (against four picks) while chipping in three rushing TDs and winning five games over his last eight starts," the analyst said on Friday. "That inspired stretch of play suggests Shough might be the franchise QB the Saints have been searching for since Drew Brees' retirement."
Brooks ended things saying that Shough has a real shot at leading New Orleans back to prominence, and with the current state of the NFC South, that might be sooner rather than later. In 2026, Shough will have a healthy roster and all 17 games to now prove Brooks right in his new sance.
Saints QB Tyler Shough could be even better in year two
Tyler Shough now heads into the offseason as the bona fide QB1 in New Orleans. Furthermore, coming off a potentially Offensive Rookie of the Year-esque season, Shough could be even better in his second NFL season.
Shough gathered his 2,384 passing yards, 186 rushing yards, and 13 total touchdowns without a healthy roster. A patchwork offensive line, an actively depleting wide receiving corps, and three injured running backs are what he had to work with. If any one of those three were healthier in 2025, Shough's rookie season might've been even better.
Hopefully, Shough will get to work with a completely healthy offense in his second season. With all his weapons at his disposal and all of his guys up in front, it should be exciting to see whether or not he'll go through a sophomore slump.