Pre-Season Outlook

Shough was the third quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, going 40th overall to the Saints. Not long after, Derek Carr announced his retirement, giving Shough an opportunity to enter Week 1 of his rookie season as a starter. His college career stretched across seven seasons and was marked by multiple injuries, culminating last year at Louisville, where he threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns. Shough has ideal size at 6-foot-5, 219 pounds, along with a strong arm and clean mechanics, but he wasn't a top rushing threat in college even though he ran a 4.61-second 40 pre-draft. He turns 26 early in the season, which arguably limits his developmental upside. The Saints may eventually bring in a veteran QB, but for now the depth chart includes only Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. If he does win the job, Shough will benefit from a decent supporting cast featuring Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara, though he figures to operate in a controlled, run-first system under new head coach Kellen Moore.