Tyler Shough: The Best of the 2025 Rookie QBs?
You can make a very strong argument that Tyler Shough had a better rookie season than any of the class of 2025 quarterbacks. That was particularly true over his final 5 games.
During that stretch, he completed nearly 70% of his passes for 8.1 yards per attempt (both of which are really good). He had a 5-2 TD-INT ratio and a 99.1 passer rating. Shough also ran for 134 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Saints went 4-1 during that stretch.
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What’s probably not debatable is that Shough was the most seasoned of all the rookie QB’s from the pocket. That’ll happen when you spend more time in college than Chris Farley in Tommy Boy.
Like the other quarterbacks from his class, Shough still has plenty to work on. He’s not a sure thing by any means. But he has more than enough ability that Kellen Moore and the Saints can work with.
Now let’s dive in.
Physical Traits
If you were building a quarterback in a lab, he would look like Tyler Shough. He’s got size (6’5”), has a strong arm, and has good athleticism.
He can make any type of throw…
Execute from the pocket…
Make 2nd-reaction plays…
You might be surprised to learn that he rushed for more yards and touchdowns than Cam Ward did last season in a little more than half of his starts:
Pretty spry for a 6’5” guy…
Proficient in the Quick Passing Game
One of the more impressive things about Shough’s rookie season was how comfortable he was executing the quick-passing game. Whether he needed to get the ball out of his hands at the top of his drop or quickly get through a progression, he navigated this aspect of the Saints’ offense expertly. And this was an improvement from what we saw in college: