After a solid rookie season, will the New Orleans Saints go into 2026 with Tyler Shough as their starting quarterback?
Tyler Shough’s Status for 2026
Kellen Moore on the #Saints QBs play this year pic.twitter.com/AXhIZ8j4Wn
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 7, 2026
According to coach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis, the Saints are prepared to enter 2026 with Shough as the starter.
“Tyler’s done an awesome job through this entire process,” Moore said to reporters on Wednesday. “He’s gotten a ton better. He’s taken advantage of a bunch of opportunities. We’re excited to have a full offseason to build.”
The Saints used a second-round pick on Shough in last April’s draft. The belief was that Shough would be the backup to Derek Carr. However, Carr informed the Saints before the draft that his shoulder injury could affect his status for the 2025 season.
Two weeks after drafting Shough, Carr retired from the NFL.
The Saints entered training camp with a quarterback competition between Shough and Spencer Rattler. By the end of the summer, Rattler had won the starting job.
Rattler started the first eight games of the season and registered a 1-7 record.
Moore proceeded to bench Rattler for Shough, who started his first game in Week 9.
Shough, 26, would never give back the job.
After a slow start, Shough only got stronger as the year progressed, finishing 221 of 327 (67.6%) for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Shough also ran for three touchdowns.
More importantly, the Saints went 5-4 in Shough’s starts, which includes a four-game winning streak.
For the Saints’ brass, they opted for patience by letting Shough sit for the first half of the season. Although excited about Shough, Loomis won’t rush his development.
“We have to remember that he hasn’t had 17 starts yet, so we’re going to go into next season with these high expectations, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Loomis said. “So we’ve got to keep that in mind as we go forward. There are building blocks here, and we cannot skip any steps.”
Saints’ 2026 Outlook
Year 1…Can’t wait for the future here⚜️ pic.twitter.com/zylIILsBgi
— Tyler Shough (@tylershough2) January 5, 2026
The Saints were projected to be one of the NFL’s worst teams. Instead, New Orleans finished 6-11, with four wins in the final five weeks.
That might not sound like much, but it’s definitely a momentum swing that the organization can build on this offseason.
Committing to Shough allows the Saints to use other draft picks on positions of need, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines.
The Saints have the No. 8 pick in the first round of the draft.
If the Saints can add some more playmakers around Shough and Chris Olave while strengthening their defensive line, New Orleans could surprise some teams next season.
