New Orleans Saints
By Ross Jackson
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough joined 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge hosts Jacob Hester and Matt Flynn on Wednesday’s Off The Bench for an exclusive interview.
During the conversation with the two NFL alums, Shough discussed the team’s future, their active free agency period and what he’s most excited about going into the second year of his NFL career.
The Saints put together an impressive 2026 free agency class landing some impact players including explosive running back and Louisiana-native Travis Etienne Jr., dominant offensive lineman David Edwards and disruptive linebacker Kaden Elliss. From Shough’s perspective, the group brings a ton of promise, but also creates a sense of responsibility on his side of the equation.
“It’s obviously really encouraging for me, because those guys are elite level players,” he said. “Getting to know them as humans too (has) been really cool, because you kind of see their vision. You see the front office is playing and you love what they’re doing. My job is to continue to get better and be the best quarterback I can be for the team and for those guys that are coming in and want to win and want to contribute.”
Shough’s rookie year was beyond impressive. He started nine games, pulling together five wins, shattering franchise rookie passing records and finishing as the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up.
Despite all of the accolades, Shough is seeking progress heading into his second season and is excited for the opportunity to achieve it.
“I’m really just excited to kind of get back with all the guys,” he said. “And know what it looks like from the standpoint of how we can continue to kind of grow in the offense. What do you want to change? … I think that was the biggest thing for me was having that routine set now going into this offseason. I really wanted to be intentional and have a plan about my process of getting better. That included staying here in New Orleans and doing everything I can to be here and be around all the guys.”
The quarterback’s dedication to being in and embracing the city of New Orleans has rightfully been one of the team’s biggest storylines. Shough has been around the city all offseason, working out with teammates and entrenching himself in the New Orleans experience. The highlight of that latter endeavor was being the Grand Marshal of the Krewe of Pygmalion parade during the first week of Mardi Gras.
What strikes anyone that listened to this interview is Shough’s ability to connect. Whether that’s connecting with the city, his teammates, Hester and Flynn or the audience.
From admitting that his aggressive Mardi Gras throw delivery may or may not have been the product of “too many beers” or playing along with Hester and Flynn in selecting a fun tagline for his name, “all-in” consistently comes to mind when hearing the Saints signal caller speak.
That ability to connect and embrace the culture of the city has allowed the fanbase to rally around him. It’s a unique element of being a New Orleans Saints player, the importance of which clearly isn’t lost on the young passer.
“I love it here,” he said of New Orleans. “I think the people here are what makes it. I think that’s why everyone stays here. I think everyone I’ve talked to you’re either from here or you moved here and you haven’t left, and it’s such a cool kind of environment to be in. So, I’m just excited to continue to grow and see what we can do.”
Among the memorable moments of Shough’s offseason was the welcoming of his and his wife Jordan’s first son Grayson DuBois Shough. The quarterback spoke about the experience of becoming a father while balancing the demands of being an NFL quarterback and specifically highlighted Jordan, who helps make it all happen.
“It’s been awesome,” he said of becoming a father. “Mom’s been killing it. Obviously, (I) can’t do some of those fun events without her kind of taking the load as much, as you guys know as fathers. So it’s been great.
“It’s kind of been nice being in the offseason as well. Get to at least be up for a lot of the night stuff. I’m sure my wife would disagree with me as far as how much I’m up, because she’s probably up a little bit more.”
It takes a village, as they say, and Shough has done a remarkable job becoming a part of one as the team’s top signal caller.
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