"He will hopefully lead them to championship": Tyler Shough's Louisville coach raves about Saints rookie amid Derek Carr's uncertainty

The New Orleans Saints took Tyler Shough with the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The former Louisville quarterback could see himself get the starting role for next season due to Derek Carr's shoulder injury, which might require surgery.

With Shough in the spotlight, Cardinals wide receivers coach Deion Branch has waxed lyrical on the new Saints recruit ahead of his rookie season.

"I want to be the person to quiet down all the grumblings that I've probably slightly heard about 'Oh, we didn't take the right quarterback,'" Branch said on the 'Up & Adams' show on Thursday. "No, you took the right quarterback. Trust me, I promise you, you all have the right quarterback.

"Tyler is an NFL quarterback that was in college, and I'm very blessed and thankful that Jeff Brown went out and found this guy in the transfer portal last season."

Branch continued to shower praise on Shough.

"He's a pro-ready quarterback," Branch said. "You guys selected the right guy, and I guarantee you... I love everything about this young man. I rave about him so much, and I know there's nothing. He's not going to let me down, he's going to actually make sure he leads the Saints, hopefully to a championship."

Shough began his college career at Oregon in 2018. He spent three years with the Ducks before transferring to Texas Tech in 2021. Following a three-year stint with the Red Raiders, Shough transferred to Louisville for the 2024 season, where he worked with Branch.

Now, it will be interesting to see how Shough fares with the Saints after spending seven years at the collegiate level.

Tyler Shough had a solid final collegiate season at Louisville

New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough - Source: Imagn

During his lone season at Louisville, Tyler Shough completed 244 of 389 passes for 3,195 yards, with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 19 yards and a rushing TD, leading the Cardinals to an 8-4 record.

Shough was the third quarterback taken off the board in this year's draft, behind Cam Ward (No. 1, to Tennessee Titans) and Jaxon Dart (No. 25, to New York Giants).

If Shough has a strong offseason, he could find himself in contention for the QB1 role if Carr is not available.