Heading into day two of the 2025 NFL Draft, Tyler Shough was relatively considered to be an afterthought in light of Shedeur Sanders’ never-ending slide. However, the New Orleans Saints, to the surprise of many, have named him as their potential quarterback of the future after selecting him with the 40th overall pick.
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Despite being a 6’5″, 219-pound prospect, Shough was listed as a short underdog to be the next signal caller taken in the draft. Nevertheless, both he and his family are used to defying odds.
Long before he ever dreamed of being a gridiron great, Shough was dealt a seemingly unfair hand. When he was only five years old, his mother, Dana, was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer. Her doctors gave her just nine months to live.
Seeing his mother be forced to fight for her life at such a young age, Shough became determined to match his mother’s fighting spirit, something that has become a defining characteristic of their family.
“Tyler was 5 years old, and my youngest son was 2 years old, and it rocked my world, but I’ll tell you what. Sometimes you have to go through things in life that test you, and it’s how you respond to those things that define your character,” his mother told the Daily Independent.
The Chandler, Arizona, native will now take that “Shough strong” mentality with him to New Orleans. Given the current state of the Saints’ roster, that gritty nature could prove to be exactly what they need as the team continues to deal with Derek Carr’s shoulder injury.
After 20 long years of adversity, both Shough and his mother can finally celebrate. Now, on the other side of their struggles, Dana couldn’t help but to feel as if her bravery retroactively helped to create the very mindset that has now made her son an NFL quarterback.
“You have to find that fighter mentality… I think my journey has taught Tyler that, you know what, stuff’s going to happen to you in life, but you got to handle it.”
Shough’s selection may have received mixed reactions from the Who Dat nation at first, but he will likely win their hearts over relatively quickly. After an up-and-down collegiate career saw him play for three separate teams from 2018 to 2023, Shough finally managed to break out in his senior year at Louisville.
Throwing for 3,195 receiving yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions, his 2024 campaign gave the Cardinals their second-best regular season finish since 2016. His passer efficiency rating of 148.1 ranked 28th overall in the FBS, while his average of 266.3 passing yards per game was good for 14th overall.
Shough will now have the opportunity to develop his skill set under the watchful eye of one of the league’s best QB coaches to date in Kellen Moore, making him an incredibly intriguing prospect to follow throughout the rest of the offseason. While Spencer Rattler is likely to remain the presumed starter for as long as Carr’s absence continues, Shough has been given a golden opportunity to immediately compete for a starting position in his first year.
Given his family’s propensity to defy the odds, he may just be the perfect fit for a Saints team that is currently hoping to do the same.
