Tyler Shough DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who is firmly in the battle for the QB1 job, had an "encouraging performance" during Thursday's OTA practice. "Shough showed it today," Saints reporter Nick Underhill wrote. "Hit two bombs for TDs, real nice layered throw going to the sideline and had an incomplete pass on the move that barely missed but athleticism flashed." The 25-year-old is likely the favorite to be the Week 1 starter in Kellen Moore's new offense after the sudden retirement of Derek Carr (shoulder), so the positive report is promising. Shough was a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after tossing for 7,820 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions in 42 collegiate games with Oregon, Texas Tech, and Louisville. He also scored 11 career rushing touchdowns. Shough is no stranger to learning a new system on the fly, so he could exceed relatively low expectations in Year 1.

If New Orleans Saints rookie second-round quarterback Tyler Shough wins the team's QB competition this offseason and starts in Week 1 this fall, he would be the first Week 1 rookie starter for the organization since Archie Manning did it in 1971 after being taken second overall out of Ole Miss. After Derek Carr's abrupt retirement, Shough will be competing with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener (oblique) for the starting gig under center after being taken 40th overall in the second round in April. He's the third-highest QB selection for the Saints in their history after taking Manning at No. 2 overall and Bo Burris at 27th overall in 1967. Perhaps giving Shough a leg up is the fact that he's old for a rookie -- he will turn 26 on Sept. 28 after seven seasons in college. Considering his draft status, Shough is considered the early favorite to win the job. If he does, he'll be a low-end QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues.

New Orleans Saints quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler have been splitting first-team reps at OTAs this offseason, according to head coach Kellen Moore. Shough, who spent time at three universities over seven years in college, was the team's second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Rattler was a fifth-round pick in last year's draft and appeared in seven games last season, completing 57% of his passes for 1,317 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. Shough should be viewed as the favorite to win the starting job, but the Saints' staff likely wants him to "earn" it. It's worth noting that 2023 draft pick Jake Haener (oblique) is dealing with an injury suffered earlier this week. Even if Shough exceeds expectations as a rookie, it would be surprising if he's on the fantasy football radar in single-QB setups.

In the wake of quarterback Derek Carr's (shoulder) retirement on Saturday, New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore said that the team will rotation all of their quarterbacks -- rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough, second-year man Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener -- to give them all opportunities as they look to win the starting job heading into the 2025 season. "We're going to let all three of these guys roll," Moore said. Shough is already 25 years old and has plenty of collegiate experience, giving him the initial leg up as the favorite to take over for Carr this year. However, Rattler, a fifth-round pick in 2024, did play in seven games (six starts) in his rookie campaign, completing just 57% of his 228 pass attempts for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. Haener has thrown only 39 NFL passes. Whoever wins the job in New Orleans will be considered a low-end QB2 for those in superflex fantasy formats.

Now that quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder) has announced his retirement, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport writes that it sets the stage for rookie second-round quarterback Tyler Shough to be the team's eventual starter in 2025. Shough's stock for his rookie campaign was already rising with Carr's availability in question for 2025 due to a shoulder injury, but now Carr is out of the picture completely. The 25-year-old Shough will be competing primarily with Spencer Rattler, who completed just 57% of his passes while throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions in his rookie season in 2024. Even if the Saints give Shough a little more time to develop and name Rattler the starter for Week 1, it seems likely that Shough will be starting games in the Big Easy sooner than later in 2025. Shough is old for a rookie and has plenty of experience, making him the current favorite over Rattler for QB1 duties.