The New Orleans Saints didn’t just limp to the finish line this season - they came sprinting. After a rocky start, the team closed out the 2025-26 campaign with four wins in their final five games, finishing with a total of six victories.
That might not sound like much on paper, but considering the low expectations coming into the year - many pegged them as a 3- or 4-win team at best - it marked a meaningful step forward. And at the heart of that late-season surge was rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.
Shough suited up for 11 games and steadily grew more comfortable with each snap. He wasn’t just managing games - he was learning, adjusting, and showing flashes of the kind of quarterback who can lead a franchise.
With 2,384 passing yards, 10 touchdowns through the air, and another three scores on the ground, Shough’s rookie campaign wasn’t eye-popping, but it was promising. His 91.3 passer rating speaks to a level of poise and efficiency that’s rare for a first-year QB thrown into the fire.
The physical tools are there. So is the mindset.
Speaking ahead of Super Bowl 60 - a matchup featuring the always-relevant New England Patriots and the resurgent Seattle Seahawks - Shough gave a glimpse into his offseason mindset and what he’s aiming for in Year 2.
“Growth each week, growth each week,” he said. “What I learned is that it is such a long season that the ultimate goal is to win the NFC South, get in the playoffs, and win the Super Bowl.
Whatever that looks like is how you get it done. I feel like each week I got better, and each week the team got better.
"You gotta get 1% better every day ... We gotta keep going. We feel the sense of urgency, we feel what we're capable of, now we go out there and do it."
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) February 5, 2026
AP OROY Finalist Tyler Shough catches up with @JohnDeShazier on his expectations for next season pic.twitter.com/5sVLCMulgf
I am fired up to have all of our coaches back. My goal is to be the same dude every day and keep it going.”
That kind of mentality - steady improvement, commitment to consistency, and a team-first focus - is exactly what you want to hear from a young quarterback heading into a pivotal offseason. Shough added: “You gotta get 1% better every day … We gotta keep going. We feel the sense of urgency, we feel what we're capable of, now we go out there and do it.”
It’s clear the Saints believe in Shough as a foundational piece moving forward. But belief alone won’t get them over the hump. This offseason will be crucial as the front office looks to build around its young quarterback, and that means tough decisions are coming - including some potential roster cuts to free up cap space and recalibrate the roster.
The Saints are entering an offseason with a clearer sense of direction than they had a year ago. They have a quarterback who’s shown he can handle the pressure, a coaching staff returning intact, and a locker room that found its identity down the stretch. Now it’s about taking that momentum, making the right moves, and turning potential into production.
The road back to contention in the NFC South starts now - and Tyler Shough looks ready to lead the way.