Saints make big decision on 2026 quarterback: “There are building blocks here”

The New Orleans Saints have begun preparations for the 2026 NFL season, confirming that Tyler Shough is in line to be the team’s starting quarterback going forward.

Speaking on Wednesday, Saints coach Kellen Moore said that he is “great with Tyler” as the starting quarterback heading into 2026.

“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,” Moore said. “We’re excited to have a full offseason to build.”

Shough was a second-round pick at the 2025 NFL Draft and started the season as backup to Spencer Rattler in New Orleans. After an unimpressive start, Rattler was replaced by Shough and the first-year QB made a positive impression.

How much is Tyler Shough’s contract worth?

When he joined the Saints last year, Shough signed a four-year rookie deal worth $10.8 million. ESPN reports that Shough’s deal is fully guaranteed, making him the first second-round pick to get a fully guaranteed contract from the Saints.

On Wednesday Saints general manager Mickey Loomis paid tribute to Shough and the progress that he has made in his first year with your team. The Saints went 5-4 with Shough at starter and the rookie completed 67.6% of his passes.

“We’re excited about Tyler,” Loomis explained, “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.”

“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.”

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