Tyler Shough Named QB1 for 2026, Here's Saints' Top Targets in NFL Draft & Free Agency

The New Orleans Saints are planning to move forward with Tyler Shough as the team's starting quarterback in 2026, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell.

"Tyler's done an awesome job through this entire process. He's gotten a ton better. He's taken advantage of a bunch of opportunities," Saints head coach Kellen Moore said, per Terrell. "We're excited to have a full offseason to build."

The Saints selected Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, adding him with the No. 40 overall pick. He appeared in 11 games as a rookie, including nine starts.

New Orleans will now look to build around Shough and could target several players in free agency including guard David Edwards, pass-rusher K'Lavon Chaisson, wide receiver Romeo Doubs and running back Rico Dowdle.

The Saints also own the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 draft, giving them the opportunity to potentially select top prospects such as Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate, Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane or Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey.

As for Shough, he opened his rookie season behind Spencer Rattler on New Orleans' depth chart.

The former Louisville standout was eventually made the Saints' starter after they lost six of their first seven games and never looked back.

Shough completed 67.6 percent of his throws for 2,384 yards and 10 touchdowns compared to six interceptions during his 2025 campaign, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. He also found the end zone three times on the ground.

Shough particularly found success down the stretch of the season, completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 1,172 yards over his final four appearances. He also tossed five touchdowns compared to one interception over that span.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was impressed with Shough's inaugural year, but also explained that he's taking a patient approach regarding the signal-caller's development.

"Again, we're excited about Tyler ... but we have to remember that he hasn't had 17 starts yet, so we're going to go into next season with these high expectations and there's nothing wrong with that," Loomis said, per Terrell. "But we also have to temper that by the fact that ... he's a second-year quarterback and he's had less than full season to start. So we've got to keep that in mind as we go forward. There are building blocks here and we cannot skip any steps."

It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Saints address their offensive line in both free agency and the draft, as they gave up the eighth-most sacks among all teams in 2025. They also ranked No. 29 in the NFL with a 56 percent pass-block win rate overall, via ESPN.

As New Orleans attempts to improve upon a 6-11 finish, its 2026 quarterback position is now secure.