Tyler Shough Shows Flashes in First Start, but Clock is Ticking on Him to Do More

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was still hunting for big plays well after Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, a 34-10 loss, was already decided in his first NFL start.

Throwing with anticipation, Shough completed a 26-yard pass along the sideline to Rashid Shaheed. He then dialed up another dart, this one another 24-yard pass to Chris Olave, before the drive stalled out at the Los Angeles Rams’ 7-yard line. 

The back-to-back throws were a few of the bright spots in the first pro start for Shough. He finished 15 of 24 for 176 yards, a touchdown pass and an interception in the loss to the Rams. Shough was sacked once, posting an 81.2 passer rating.

So, it wasn’t exactly a spectacular first start for Shough. The Rams dominated time of possession, running 77 plays on offense compared to 40 for the Saints. New Orleans had just three offensive plays in the third quarter alone, which featured a span of over 40 real-time minutes where Shough didn’t get on the field. 

However, Shough can take solace in a couple of nice throws for chunk plays late in the game, something he can build on for the future. 

“I thought there was a great sequence there when he made a few plays really quickly there in the fourth quarter,” Saints head coach Kellen Moore said. “It was completion, completion, completion and we got right down the field, and we just weren’t able to run the football there.”

The Saints replaced Spencer Rattler, who started the first seven games of the year, with Shough during their bye week. Rattler played solid at times but had six turnovers and posted a 1-13 record as a starter over the last two seasons. 

And New Orleans has struggled to create big plays. The Saints have 16 plays of 20-plus passing yards, which is tied for second-worst in the league. They have one running play of at least 20 yards, also tied for second-worst in the NFL. New Orleans rushed for just 57 yards against Los Angeles. It also failed to reach its point average for the season on Sunday, as New Orleans is averaging 15.3 points per game (second-worst in the NFL). 

New Orleans selected Shough with the 40th overall in April’s draft as a quarterback who can push the ball down the field. But if the season ended today, the Saints would hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving them the opportunity to select any of the top quarterback prospects. 

FOX Sports draft analyst Rob Rang doesn’t have the Saints going for a quarterback quite yet. He’s got New Orleans selecting Miami defensive end Reuben Bain in his latest mock draft, with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza being the first quarterback off the board (No. 8, Las Vegas Raiders).

Rang noted that during Mickey Loomis’ 23-year tenure as general manager of the Saints, Shough is the highest he has drafted a quarterback. So, the bottom line is that Shough is Moore’s guy for now. Shough will get the second half of the season to show he can be the long-term answer at quarterback in New Orleans. But if the results don’t change soon, the Saints could be forced to make a choice on Shough this offseason. 

The Saints aren’t looking that far down the road yet, though, and Shough’s teammates were encouraged by his performance on Sunday. 

Tyler Shough’s first touchdown pass went to Juwan Johnson. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

“He had some good plays, I think when they went up-tempo,” Saints safety Justin Reid said about Shough’s performance. “I think he was a bit more successful when they had some tempo, and they were able to move the ball a bit more. That’s a talented Rams defense. They did a really good job with the coverages they played. 

“But, just across the board there were too many things that didn’t go our way that we have to continue to improve on and get better at. It’s a tough situation to walk into for him. He handled it well mentally, and we’re just going to have to keep getting better with it.” 

For his part, Shough said he’s focused on taking positive steps in his development and maturation, while leading New Orleans to some wins during that process. 

“It was just good to get out there and operate,” Shough said. “That was my whole mindset. It’s a football game. What a great opportunity to go against a great team and obviously somebody who I looked up to growing up in [QB Matthew] Stafford. 

“For me, it was don’t make it bigger than what it is. At the end of the day, going out there and operating felt good, but it sucks because we didn’t capitalize on a lot of it. We lost, so we’re going to keep getting better each week in practice. It’ll stack and continue to grow.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!