Former Louisville football star quarterback Tyler Shough was drafted in the second round by the New Orleans Saints. The 25-year-old is emerging as one of the best quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and now is the favorite to start for the Saints in game one.
The former Saints quarterback Derek Carr retired this offseason, making it a big-time quarterback duel to start between Shough and South Carolina's Spencer Rattler. Since the former Cardinal is trending to start for Kellen Moore in game one against the Arizona Cardinals, Shough is one of the many second-round draft picks to insist on a fully guaranteed contract.
Well, in the latest report by Matthew Paras, he reported that Shough isn't demanding a fully guaranteed contract, but he is "optimistic" he will get one.
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The former Cardinals quarterback's bold request is actually a fair ask. If he is going to go and be Moore's No. 1 quarterback, he deserves the pay and a fully guaranteed contract. However, he has not yet won the job, and wouldn't shock many if the starter isn't announced until the preseason begins in August.
That said, Paras reported that Shough is not demanding a fully guaranteed contract, but he is "optimistic" that he will get one.
"“The whole second round, just seeing kind of where things lie,” Matthew Paras reported Shough stated. “There’s not like a demand or - obviously, you’re super optimistic. That’s just part of it, this whole process, so yeah, we’ll see.”"Tyler Shough
Shough must report to training camp on July 22, and after reading that quote, it doesn't seem like the Saints' second-round pick is willing to hold out until he gets his money.
“I want to fight for as much as we can get, but at the same time, there’s a lot of things that have yet to unfold with other guys ahead,” Shough stated, according to Paras. “For me, the biggest thing was getting here, learning the playbook and doing everything I can.”
Shough's top priority is to be there for the team and compete for the starting job. If the money comes, that is just the cherry on top. However, right now, the Cardinals' former superstar wants to help his team win, and that involves learning the playbook and possibly starting for the Saints in week one.
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