Saints rookie QB Tyler Shough earns surprise backing to dethrone Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers as NFC South champs

The arrival of Tyler Shough at the New Orleans Saints changes the outlook for the franchise in 2025. Surprising news regarding Derek Carr's shoulder injury prompted the team to take a quarterback early in the draft, and Shough has a good chance of starting for the team in 2025.

The former Louisville quarterback played for three different teams during his college career, but he only started during the 2024 season. His draft stock was also lowered due to entering the league at 26 years old. However, he was still a second-round pick by the Saints.

Speaking on Dianna Russini's Scoop City, former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel was asked which rookie he was the most excited to see. Daniel said that he didn't want to name the easy guys, and named Shough as his must-watch during training camp:

[6:02] "I'm going Tyler Shough—sounds crazy a little bit—but he’s probably going to have to play right away. And Kellen Moore’s decision will depend on Derek Carr’s injury status. Tyler, for me, is an interesting one because he was talked about a lot at the very end of the draft.

"Not a lot of people were on him—you were, we were early, right? But when you watch his film, you see it—the best footwork in the draft."

He finished, saying:

"With the Saints, if you go .500 in that division, you can win the division. The Bucs are there, and they’re probably the odds-on favorite."

Mike Florio says 'weird' relationship between Derek Carr and Saints led to Tyler Shough's arrival

Tyler Shough's arrival came at a weird time. Derek Carr restructured his contract for the upcoming season, but his injury was revealed in the week leading up to the draft. The timing caught many by surprise, putting pressure on the Saints to select a new quarterback.

NFL analyst Mike Florio, during his Pro Football Talk show on NBC, pointed out that Carr's injury reveal was no coincidence. Florio cited a weird relationship between team and player, even using a "The Office" reference:

"I feel like this was not a boating accident," Florio said. "It's just when a relationship has gone sideways, you're going to have both sides engaging in this ugly, awkward 'Michael and Jan dinner party' thing. That's going to gradually become more obvious.”

There's still no confirmation as to whether Carr will be able to play for the Saints in the 2025 season. If he's not available, Tyler Shough is likely to be their number one quarterback.