The Falcons have plenty to worry about, and Tyler Shough sits right near the top of the list.
Atlanta is already dealing with a messy quarterback picture, with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa in the mix. That is not the cleanest setup for a team trying to steady itself at the most important spot on the field. Meanwhile, the Falcons’ biggest rival in New Orleans looks like it may have found something real.
The Saints have become a trendy pick to take the NFC South, and Shough is a huge reason why. He helped New Orleans close 2025 with four wins in its final five games, and the only loss in that stretch came in Atlanta.
Over the Saints’ final three games, he averaged 300 passing yards per game. For a team that has spent plenty of time searching for answers, that kind of finish changes the conversation fast.
Shough’s first season was impressive enough to put him on the league’s radar. The 2025 second-round pick finished as the Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up even though he made only nine starts and appeared in 11 games. That production carried extra weight because of his age - he was a 26-year-old rookie - and because of the cast around him.
Even with that, Shough still found ways to light things up late in the year. His strongest outings came against the Jets and Titans, while the Falcons managed to give him trouble. Still, the overall body of work was strong enough to make him a popular breakout candidate heading into 2026.
What makes the outlook even more unsettling for Atlanta is how much better the Saints have built around him. Shough showed poise in pressure moments, enough mobility to matter, and a quick release that helped his elite arm strength show up all season. Now Kellen Moore has him in a system that fits those traits, and New Orleans has added more firepower around him.
The Saints signed Travis Etienne in free agency and used the eighth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson. They also added Oscar Delp and Bryce Lance later in the draft, while keeping key pieces like Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, and Juwan Johnson in the mix.
Put it all together, and the Saints have given Shough a much better supporting cast than he had as a rookie. They have also put him in a scheme that should play to his strengths. After what he already showed in 2025, it is easy to see why New Orleans is drawing NFC South buzz - and why that makes the Falcons’ road to a division title even tougher.
In Other News...
Falcons Fans May Not Like Where The Penix Situation Is Heading
Michael Penix Jr. was supposed to be the long-term answer when Atlanta used a first-round pick on him in 2024, but the quarterback picture around the Falcons has already grown murkier. With Kevin Stefanski now in charge, the conversation has shifted from development to competition, and Penix is being measured against Tua Tagovailoa in a battle that says as much about the new staffs priorities as it does about either passers talent.
For Falcons fans, the uneasy part is how quickly the runway has shortened. Penixs future in Atlanta is no longer being discussed as a simple wait-and-see project, and the early read from analysts is that Tagovailoas accuracy and extra preparation time could matter a great deal in Stefanskis system. If that holds, the Falcons may be headed toward a quarterback decision that leaves plenty of questions about where Penix fits next. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons May Be Counting On Brandon Dorlus For Something Much Bigger
Brandon Dorlus went from promising piece to real difference-maker for Atlanta in 2025, turning in a breakout season that gave the Falcons a legitimate interior pass-rush threat. Under Jeff Ulbrich, the defense found some welcome continuity, and Dorlus looked like the kind of player whose growth can change how opponents have to protect the quarterback.
ESPN analyst Ben Solak pointed to that rise as something Atlanta can build on, noting that the development should keep moving in a straight line after a season that showed the team a version of Dorlus it had been waiting to see. With the Falcons already seeing how effective he can be in pass-rush situations, the bigger question now is how far his role can grow as the front continues to evolve around him. [Read more 🡒]