Saints Sign Second-Round QB Tyler Shough to Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal

The signing comes after an overflow of second-round draft selections signed their rookie deals. The NFL and second-round picks have been at a standoff over guaranteed money after the Houston Texans gave 34th overall pick Jayden Higgins the first-ever fully guaranteed contract for a second-round pick.

Shough, the 40th overall selection, will be the last of the second-rounders to earn a fully guaranteed contract. The former Louisville quarterback was seen as an x-factor in the contract talks for the league, as he is competing for the starting quarterback job in New Orleans. It was seen that after the Higgins contract, picks 33-40 would all earn fully guaranteed contracts.

The 25-year-old rookie is competing to be the first rookie to start for the Saints in a Week 1 game since 1971, when Archie Manning was the quarterback. Shough has become a fan favorite in New Orleans and has a lot of supporters, but if he were to miss some time during training camp, second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler could've taken a lead in the battle.

Shough and Rattler have been neck and neck in their competition for the starting spot. While it was always expected that the Saints would reach a deal with their rookie quarterback before training camp starts on July 23rd, getting the contract out of the way and guaranteeing the potential quarterback of the future's deal fully could be a confident boost for the young signal caller.