How the Saints’ Offense Could Look with Tyler Shough at QB

Derek Carr’s surprise retirement leaves the New Orleans Saints in a much different spot than they expected going into the offseason. Carr, 34, discovered a shoulder injury during workouts that would have required surgery. Rather than rehab and return, he chose to step away from football. Even before Carr made his decision, the Saints had started looking ahead. Financial reasons made it likely they would move on from him by 2026 anyway. So when the NFL Draft rolled around last month and Carr’s future was uncertain, the team used the 40th overall pick to take Louisville QB Tyler Shough.

Now, with Carr officially gone, Shough becomes the favorite to start. Head coach Kellen Moore has called it an open competition between Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, but the rookie clearly has the edge. He was drafted higher than the others and by the current coaching staff. Rattler and Haener, who were picked by the previous regime, already had chances to start and didn’t show enough to secure the job. If Shough wins the role, he would be the first rookie quarterback drafted outside the first round to start in Week 1 since DeShone Kizer in 2017.

Who Is Tyler Shough?

Shough enters the NFL as a 25-year-old rookie after spending seven years in college football. He played at Oregon, Texas Tech, and most recently, Louisville. While his age suggests he might be more prepared than a typical rookie, his college stats tell a different story — he had just 951 career pass attempts due to several injuries. For comparison, Jaxson Dart threw the ball over 1,300 times in college.

Despite the limited reps, Shough has been around the block. He’s worked in several offenses, learned from different coaching staffs, and played with various teammates. That gives him an advantage in learning the Saints’ system quickly and leading a locker room.

At Louisville under Jeff Brohm, Shough played in a more NFL-like offense. He even took some snaps under center — which is rare in college — and his offense included more traditional dropbacks rather than screen-heavy play calls. His film shows deep throws with timing and touch, particularly off play-action. That’s where his biggest strength shows: the deep ball. Shough has the arm to make vertical throws downfield, which fits well with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed’s speed and play style.

What Might the Saints’ Offense Look Like?

Projecting how the Saints’ offense will function is difficult because of the many changes. New head coach Kellen Moore has adapted his scheme in every stop depending on the players available. He’s been pass-heavy with Dak Prescott in Dallas, run-focused with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, and somewhere in between with Justin Herbert in Los Angeles.

Moore has shown he’s willing to adjust quarterback alignments, use screens heavily in some seasons and rarely in others, and change the pace of the offense with motion, empty formations, or heavy personnel packages depending on what he has. So how will he build an offense around Shough?

Strengths Around Shough

The Saints have solid weapons. Alvin Kamara is still a dangerous pass-catching back and can be a safety valve in the screen game. Chris Olave and Shaheed are fast, agile receivers who can stretch the field. The tight end group is deep, with Juwan Johnson (who recently signed an extension), Foster Moreau, and Taysom Hill giving the team multiple ways to attack defenses.

Last season, the Saints found some rhythm in a two-tight end system. That could return in 2025, especially if it helps ease pressure on a rookie quarterback. A strong running game is also key. If the Saints can establish the run, it will help Shough set up play-action shots to Olave and Shaheed.

The offensive line has two young tackles in second-year pro Taliese Fuaga and rookie Kelvin Banks Jr. Protecting them from one-on-one matchups is important, which means the Saints could lean on the run game and use more play-action passing to help both the line and their quarterback.

What Shough Brings — And What He Doesn’t

Shough is accurate when his feet are set and he’s in rhythm. He prefers to tie his throws to the timing of his footwork and can string together quick completions once he gets going. However, his size and mechanics can be limiting. He’s not particularly quick or flexible, and when he’s forced off his spot or under pressure, his throws lose accuracy.

There’s film of him against Clemson where pressure led to a high, off-target pass on a simple checkdown — the kind of mistake he’ll need to clean up. That’s not unusual for a rookie, but it means the Saints can’t rely on him to carry the offense with volume passing from day one.

The biggest red flag in Shough’s game is how he handles pressure. While he avoids sacks well — just an 8.6% sack rate when pressured, the best of any early-round quarterback in the draft — he tends to panic. He’ll bail early or throw into traffic instead of standing in and taking a hit. That limits his ability to operate in muddy pockets, which is a critical skill in the NFL.

What If Rattler Steps Up?

Rattler is still in the mix. In six starts last year, he was inconsistent — he took 22 sacks and threw five interceptions — but he also created some explosive plays when pressured. He has a stronger arm than Shough and better mobility. If he shows more poise in training camp and improves his decision-making, Rattler could challenge for the job again.

A Wide Range of Possibilities

Expectations should be modest for a second-round rookie quarterback. It’s hard to know how well Shough will play — and even harder to know what Moore’s offense will actually look like. Moore has always adjusted his approach based on the quarterback. But this is his team now, and he might choose to run the offense he prefers and ask Shough to rise to it.

If Shough can stay in rhythm and make smart reads while the scheme leans on the run game and play-action, the Saints might be more efficient than many expect. But if Shough struggles under pressure or the line can’t protect, the offense could be in trouble.

Right now, the Saints’ offense has one of the widest ranges of outcomes in the league. Everything depends on how fast Shough develops — and what Moore chooses to do with him.

More must-reads:

Why the 49ers Still Haven’t Drafted an Offensive Tackle

Why the Broncos Drafted RJ Harvey to Lead Their Backfield

This report used information from ESPN.