Last night, former second-round pick and No. 40 overall selection, Tyler Shough, made his anxiously awaited NFL preseason debut as the New Orleans Saints went head-to-head with the San Diego Chargers. The former Louisville football star quarterback had a lot of pressure heading into this game for many reasons, as Shough was selected over Colorado star Shedeur Sanders, and is in a showdown with Spencer Rattler for the starting job.
While Shough showed some inexperience with his pick-six in the third quarter, he also showed flashes of brilliance and high potential with his 54-yard touchdown throw shortly after. One thing is for sure, and that is the former Cardinal shone in his NFL debut and outperformed Rattler.
Related: It only took Tyler Shough two minutes to prove he should start over Spencer Rattler
Tyler Shough proves he’s ready to be Saints’ QB1
The former 2024 NFL fifth-round draft pick is coming off a poor 2024 season, as Rattler went 0-6 with the Saints last season, with a 57.7 completion percentage and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. In last night's matchup, Rattler earned the starting role and played the majority of the first half. However, after fumbling the ball, which led to a field goal, and getting sacked three times without scoring, it was then Shough's time to shine.
The former Cardinals quarterback got the nod to go in for the Saints ' two-minute drill to end the first half and proved he can lead drives to points in the NFL. Shough marched down the field to get the Saints' first three points of the game as he went 5/8 with 42 passing yards.
In the second half, it was all Shough. He finished the game going 15/22 with 165 passing yards and threw the only passing touchdown of the game. While many fans are debating whether the Saints should have drafted Shough or Sanders, what is essential at this moment is that Shough is proving he should still get the nod to start over Rattler.
The former Louisville star showed great poise in the pocket and his ability to move on from a critical mistake. The pick-six was a learning moment for Shough, and just moments after throwing that interception, he showed he can throw deep as he hit Mason Tipton in stride downfield on a 54-yard touchdown.
TYLER SHOUGH 54-YARD TOUCHDOWN
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The Saints will have two more preseason games before Kellen Moore must make up his mind on who gets the starting role for week one against the Arizona Cardinals. But one thing is for sure after the Saints' preseason game, and that is that Shough proved that if Moore wants to put points on the board, then Shough is his guy.
Related:Tyler Shough favorite to replace Derek Carr after multiple ‘Oh My God’ moments
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