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Saints have hilarious response to embarrassing Tyler Shough video

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Mike Gianakos, ClutchPoints | Last updated Jan 8, 2026 11:55 PM ET

After a 1-7 start, the New Orleans Saints finished the season strong. Led by Tyler Shough, the Saints closed the year by winning four of the last five games, improving to 6-11. While the team missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season, New Orleans may have found its franchise quarterback. The Saints decided to move forward with Shough as the starter in 2026.

The second-round rookie passer impressed after taking over QB1 duties in Week 9. But one day after the Saints endorsed Shough as the starter, PFT Commenter posted a brutal clip of the quarterback. The video shows Shough dropping back and flinging an ugly incompletion at the NFL combine.

With the embarrassing clip making the rounds on social media, New Orleans offered the only conceivable explanation for Shough’s errant throw. In response to PFT Commenter’s post, the Saints simply wrote, “AI.”

pic.twitter.com/YfCj6bpPAs https://t.co/LKS2etKfNE

— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) January 8, 2026

Tyler Shough’s ugly combine throw resurfaces

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However, the clip was not an AI troll job. It captured an actual throw from Shough’s combine workout. So, what exactly happened here? “Somebody dared me to do a pocket-movement throw and I said, ‘Alright, f–k it, let’s do it,’” Shough explained during an appearance on Pardon My Take.

“It was literally just a coach [telling me], ‘Hey, this is your last rep. Let’s throw a little pocket movement, try to throw it on the run or something. Try to have some fun with it,” Shough added. “I get it. I learned from it. To not do any viral moments as much as I can… Yeah, it wasn’t really a huge deal at the time but it was pretty funny afterwards.”

Embarrassing combine throws aside, Shough earned the Saints’ support with an excellent rookie season. The 26-year-old QB completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,384 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts (11 appearances). He also added 186 yards on the ground and three rushing scores. Shough went 5-4 as a starter after taking over a 1-7 team in November.

The Offensive Rookie of the Year-caliber campaign forced the Saints to reconsider their draft strategy. New Orleans doesn’t need to take a quarterback with the eighth overall pick in April. Instead the team will build around Shough in an effort to compete in an eminently winnable NFC South next season.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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