NFL Insider Shares Interesting Note On How Saints Really View Tyler Shough

Forget being the Saints' quarterback of the future. Tyler Shough might be New Orleans' QB of the here-and-now.

The Saints surprised many last Friday when they drafted Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. New Orleans, which passed on Shedeur Sanders and other QBs, reportedly ranked Shough as their second-best QB prospect in the class.

But there might be more to the story than Shough's raw talent. With Derek Carr's status for next season uncertain due to a shoulder injury, the Saints might need someone else to handle QB1 duties in 2025. That would be a tall order for many second-round rookie QBs, but a new report from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport indicates New Orleans feels Shough is uniquely qualified for the job.

"He may have to (start)," Rapoport said of Shough during a Tuesday TV segment. " ... Right now, we just don't know whether or not Derek Carr is going to be ready. And so, in Tyler Shough, what the Saints is someone who they believe to be the most pro-ready (rookie QB). ... Maybe (the Saints') quarterback of the future, but probably their quarterback of the present is the guy they took."

After the draft, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis confirmed there will be a QB competition this summer if Carr isn't ready to go. However, even if Carr is ready for training camp, it's hard to envision Shough not getting an opportunity to beat out the veteran for the starting role.