Tyler Shough

Rookie first-round WR Jordyn Tyson suffered a hamstring injury in August 2026 training camp and was placed on injured reserve, sidelining the Saints' top 2026 receiving investment for roughly the season's first month and thinning Shough's short-term target pool alongside Chris Olave.

Starting guard Dillon Radunz suffered a season-ending ACL tear in August 2026 camp, leaving a patchwork offensive line in front of Shough and raising sack and turnover-worthy-play risk.

Shough enters 2026 as the Saints' unchallenged starter with no meaningful in-house QB competition (Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson are clear depth pieces), and was named a team captain — a strong signal of organizational investment in him as the long-term answer.

Shough added three rushing touchdowns and averaged nearly 17 rushing yards per game across his 2025 starts, giving him a dual-threat scoring floor on top of the passing stat line.

Shough enters his first full season as a starter within Kellen Moore's offense after taking over midway through 2025, giving him an offseason of first-team reps and installation time that should smooth his development curve.