Tyler Shough has been one of the most popular topics around the NFL, since the day he was drafted back in April of 2025. Many fans and analysts around the league will continue to have their eyes glued on him as he battles Spencer Rattler for the New Orleans Saints starting quarterback position.
The Saints drafted Shough in 2nd round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 40th overall selection. This left many people across the league shocked as he was selected before notable draft prospect Sheduer Sanders.
The Saints drafted Shough to possibly be the future quarterback of the franchise. Derek Carr retiring sped up Shough's clock. The new vision was for him to come in and compete for the starting job in 2025. First up, the preseason. The organization is looking for him to show that he can lead and manage the offense effectively. He showed pieces of that in the opener.
Shough’s NFL debut gives Saints optimism moving forward
Shough kicked off his first career NFL action, checking into the game late, with under 2 minutes to go in the 1st half. Shough gave the Saints a big boost offensively. He instantly conducted a 52 yard drive for the team’s first 3 points to end the first half, after the offense struggled to move the ball on their first 5 drives with Spencer Rattler.
He finished the day 15/22, 165 yards, 1 touchdown, and an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Despite throwing a pick six, he showed his resilience by bouncing back and tossing a 54 yard touchdown to Mason Tipton on the very next drive.
Overall, Shough managed to have a solid career debut, even with an absent run game and poor outing from the offensive line. There were a lot of positive things to take from his performance.
He showed the coaching staff that he can be accurate, decisive, and comfortable in this new offense. His solid outing should give the Saints organization optimism moving forward. The quarterback battle has become a lot more interesting.