Saints won’t regret waiting for Shough, can now trade up in 2026

By Ross Jackson

While recent discourse has centered around whether the New Orleans Saints should have traded up for quarterback Tyler Shough in order to have his fifth-year option included down the line. However, the Saints certainly don’t regret their decision to stick and pick at No. 40 overall for the potential franchise passer. 

Instead, New Orleans should be considering deploying the approach in 2026 to help build around its passer. 

Why Shough Trade-Up Isn’t Pivotal 

The truth of fifth-year options for quarterbacks is clear: they rarely play on them. 

Of the nine passers drafted in the 2020 and 2021 NFL Drafts, only one actually played on the options: now-Atlanta Falcons passer Tua Tagovailoa. Each of the remaining eight either reached a contract extension before actually playing in the tag after year four or didn’t have the option exercised by their club at all. 

Green Bay Packers signal caller Jordan Love signed his second contract after his third season, once eligible to agree upon an extension. 

The practice isn’t as imperative to roster construction as presumed. 

However, because the Saints saved the draft capital it would have cost them to trade up for Shough, the team could now choose to be more aggressive ahead of his second year in building around him. 

Saints Can Return To Being Aggressive In Draft

New Orleans now has the capital to stick-and-pick at No. 8 overall for an elite prospect like a pass rusher, cornerback or weapon on offense while considering a later trade to snatch up what it is that they didn’t get at eight. 

For instance, should the Saints go with an edge rusher at No. 8, trading up from 42 to the top of the second round or bottom of the first for a wide receiver option like Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion could entice the aggressiveness out of general manager Mickey Loomis. 

The Saints were patient during the 2025 draft, letting it come to the. In doing so, they were awarded the best draft class of the year. 

Because of their previous patience, the club can now attack the next draft with more assertiveness. 

It doesn’t mean they have to trade up from their top-10 selection or even trade back into the first round, but not having surrendered previous capital for a swing at quarterback now affords them the flexibility to trade capital to build around that quarterback instead.