The Saints will hold a quarterback competition this summer in the aftermath of Derek Carr's decision to retire.
The newest member of New Orleans' QB room who figures to feature prominently in the position battle, Saints second-round pick Tyler Shough is currently focused on himself and helping the team in any way he can heading into his first season as a pro.
"I think for me it's just going through the same process for minicamp, trying to learn the playbook and get to know my teammates as much as I can and do everything I can to continue to get better," Shough said Saturday during rookie minicamp, via the team’s website. "(Coach) Kellen (Moore) told me this morning (about Carr's retirement) and that was the extent of it, and we went out to practice and had a lot of fun."
The Saints gave themselves some extra security in the 2025 NFL Draft by drafting Shough with the No. 40 overall pick as Carr dealt with uncertainty surrounding his shoulder injury, which eventually led to him retiring after 11 seasons in the NFL.
There is plenty to be excited about Shough. The 6-foot-5, 219-pound product out of Louisville has a wealth of experience playing at the collegiate level, although that's also come with several injuries. Shough suffered two separate collarbone injuries in 2021 and 2022. The following season, he suffered a broken leg in his final season at Texas Tech.
In 2024, Shough transferred to Louisville and threw for 3,195 passing yards and 23 touchdowns -- both career highs -- and just six interceptions. He also showcased his skills at the Senior Bowl, throwing a touchdown in the all-star contest that features the draft's top prospects.
Now, Shough is in a QB competition in New Orleans that features 2024 fourth-round pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 third-round selection Jake Haener. With Carr hanging up his cleats, Shough is approaching the QB battle with the same mentality he had before the veteran signal-caller revealed the shocking news over the weekend.
"That's all you can ask for is an opportunity, at any position," Shough said. "And I'm going to treat it the same way, as if whoever is on the roster, I've got to continue to grow and get better and do my best to elevate the QB room and the team. For me, I was going to come in regardless of him being here or not and try and continue to grow.
"I think he's been such a high-level player for so long, I think it would be a great opportunity to learn from him. It's also a great opportunity to grow myself and be on this team with a lot of great coaches and guys on the team that we have already. I'm just excited for what's forward and the rest of our offseason."
The Saints' QB room is young and inexperienced, providing Shough a big opportunity to showcase his skills the next few months to win the starting job in New Orleans.
