With how things started for the New Orleans Saints, it looked as if though Kellen Moore was going to be one-and-done, and that the future of the Saints was going to still be in a concerning state.
Entering their Week 14 matchup against the Tampa Buccaneers, many were doubting the Saints, but they did what seemed impossible, and they ended up pulling off the upset over the Buccaneers. Now, their 3-10 season doesn’t seem as bad, and that is because Tyler Shough has provided the team hope, and has shown New Orleans that they don’t need to draft a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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When the Saints started the season off with Spencer Rattler as the starting quarterback for the season, it led to many questions, mainly surrounding the future of Tyler Shough. After New Orleans had just drafted Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, many expected him to start, for him to not have had that chance brought the thought that he wasn’t who New Orleans thought he was upon drafting him.
It took until Week 9 for Tyler Shough to finally get a starting chance in the NFL, and it didn’t necessarily go fantastic. Shough in that game threw for just 176 yards and a touchdown with an interception, but completed 62.5% of his passes. Since taking over, Shough has shown progress each week, and has even led the Saints to two victories during this stretch.
Since taking over as the starter, Tyler Shough has thrown for 1,084 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions. Considering the Saints’ offensive situation, Shough is doing the best he can with less. While Shough had an average day passing against the Buccaneers in the victory, completing 13-of-20 passes for 144 yards without a touchdown and one interception, he made an impact on the ground as he rushed for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
With this victory as well, Tyler Shough became the first rookie quarterback since Archie Manning to have multiple wins. Shough is continuing to make strides each week, and for the Saints, this should show they just need to have patience with Shough as the potential is there. If New Orleans can focus on just building around Shough the right way, they can set themselves up for a quicker turnaround in the future.