Former Louisville football star Tyler Shough has been in the news frequently this offseason for the Saints, but lately, it is for his holdout. After the New Orleans Saints selected Shough with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it was clear Shough has a clear path to being a starter in his rookie season.
The Saints were hoping Shough could compete for a starting job immediately and give South Carolina's Spencer Rattler a tough competition, possibly winning the starting job. After an incredible lone season with Louisville and skyrocketing his draft stock, the Saints have a legit quarterback duel in the making this offseason.
However, Shough has yet to sign his contract, and it might even be out of his hands. The former Cardinal is in a challenging situation right now, and while he came out and said he wouldn't hold out, he might miss the start of camp.
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Former Louisville QB Tyler Shough might be forced to miss start of NFL camp
Shough is expected to make an immediate impact for Kellen Moore's Saints, as the former Cardinal has one of the best arms from the NFL draft. When given time, he can throw absolute missiles and darts on the field.
However, he is still holding out for his fully guaranteed contract, and it appears he might not sign until he gets one. Back in May, Carson Schwesinger and Jayden Higgins quickly signed fully guaranteed contracts, but after the first two picks of the second round signed those big-time contracts, no one in the second round folded to sign anything less than what they got.
In May, the first two picks of the second round of the NFL Draft, Carson Schwesinger and Jayden Higgins, signed fully guaranteed contracts.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 12, 2025
Since then, none of the remaining second-round picks have signed, as they are also seeking fully guaranteed deals, something typically… pic.twitter.com/8x0tu2IPtL
We are here on July 13, just a couple of weeks before camp starts, and it appears the rest of the second round is making a statement for the future of the NFL. These fully guaranteed contracts are typically reserved for first-round draft picks, but that may no longer be the case.
Some are suggesting that possible collusion may be occurring with these thirty-second round draft picks, but it appears likely that it is no longer up to Shough to sign, and he might be forced to miss the first week or so of camp.
Shough might have to sit out until the second round picks agree to show up to camp with or without their fully guaranteed contract. It will be interesting to see who folds first, but it is clear that the agents and second-round picks are working hand in hand on this.
Related: Former Louisville QB Tyler Shough presses Saints with bold contract demand
For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.