Last year, New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Tyler Shough was one of the best middle-of-field passers in the NFL through his first nine starts.
During the stretch, he completed 84.3% of his passes (No. 1 in the NFL among starters), clocked a 0.36 EPA per dropback (No. 6) and notched a 103.6 passer rating (T-No. 15) by throwing between the numbers.
Upon the first-round selection of wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, it was immediately clear that this was an area of the field that Shough and Tyson could dominate. According to Reception Perception, Tyson found much of his success at Arizona State running in-breaking routes that attacked the middle of the field.
So far in 2025, there’s some promise that the melding of the two players could be massive for the Saints’ offense and Head Coach Kellen Moore’s passing game.
Shough is currently completing 78.7% of his passes in between the numbers (No. 6) so far this season with a 108.6 passer rating (No. 14) and 0.37 EPA per dropback (No. 8). Effectively, he’s retained his efficiency in the area.
Adding Tyson to the mix could have exactly the impact many had expected considering Shough’s steady nature in the area.
The Saints recently terminated the practice squad contract of wide receiver Kyrese Rowan. In doing so, dropping them from four practice squad wide receivers to three while carrying just four on the active roster.
It leaves the numbers right for the Saints to potentially be planning for Tyson’s return in the coming weeks.
Should that truly be the case, it’s clear that Tyson can have a major impact on the Saints’ passing game when he’s on the field. Especially if the team continues to struggle in the rushing department (averaging just 86 rushing yards per game).
If the Saints are going to live and die by the passing game, they may as well have as many options to live as possible.
