Getty Images
The New Orleans Saints appear to have their quarterback of the future in Tyler Shough, who is 5-3 since entering the starting lineup and rides a four-game winning streak into the regular-season finale. As it turns out, their last franchise quarterback played a key role in developing their next one. Shough said that his conversations with Drew Brees earlier this season helped him hit the ground running as a starter.
Shough, the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, took just three snaps in the first seven weeks of the season but spent those first two months of his career gearing up for an opportunity to lead the offense. When he spoke with Brees, the future Hall of Famer assured him that he was on the right track.
“Being able to talk to Drew Brees midway through the season and get a really in-depth look at what his week looked like and his preparation,” Shough said. “And then also just trusting the plan that your coaches have out for you. When I got to talk to Drew and kind of compare and contrast to what I had been doing, it was really encouraging because I had been doing most all those things and I could implement some of the things that he was doing from a preparation standpoint.”
The Saints won at least 11 games in each of Brees’ final four years in New Orleans. They have a sub-.500 record over the five years since his retirement, but the late-season surge with Shough under center suggests they could eventually return to the level of success they enjoyed during Brees’ legendary career.
That newfound optimism is quite the shift for a franchise that appeared rudderless just a couple of months ago. The Saints stood at 1-7 before they inserted Shough into the lineup.
“I just really wanted to make sure whenever I was a backup that I wanted to overprepare and make sure that when I got my opportunity that it wasn’t all of the sudden ‘I’m starting now. I feel like I have to do so much more,'” Shough said.
While his five interceptions are the sign of a modest learning curve, Shough has largely acclimated to the NFL in short order. The former Louisville quarterback, who also made stops at Texas Tech and Oregon throughout a lengthy college career, ranks seventh among NFL quarterbacks in completion rate at 67.8%. He also passed for more than 300 yards in each of his last two games and has made an impact on the ground with 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
