The New Orleans Saints are holding a quarterback competition this summer after Derek Carr announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday.
With NFL teams around the league holding rookie minicamp this weekend, Saints second-round pick Tyler Shough is focused on himself and helping the team in any way he can heading into this first season as a pro.
"I think for me it's just going through the same process for minicamp, trying to learn the playbook and get to know my teammates as much as I can and do everything I can to continue to get better," Shough said Saturday, via the team’s website. "(Coach) Kellen (Moore) told me this morning (about Carr's retirement) and that was the extent of it, and we went out to practice and had a lot of fun."
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The Saints gave themselves some extra security in the 2025 NFL Draft by drafting Shough with the No. 40 overall pick as Carr dealt with the uncertain shoulder injury that eventually led to him retiring after 11 seasons in the NFL.
There is plenty to be excited about Shough. The 6-foot-5, 219-pound product out of Louisville has plenty of experience from the collegiate level but suffered two separate collarbone injuries in 2021 and 2022. The following season, he suffered a broken leg in his final season at Texas Tech.
In 2024, Shough transferred to Louisville and threw a career-high 3,195 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also showcased his skills at the Senior Bowl and threw a touchdown in the all-star contest that features the top prospects for the draft.
Now, Shough is in a QB competition in New Orleans that features 2024 fourth-round pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 third-round selection Jake Haener. With Carr hanging up his cleats, Shough is treating the QB battle with the same mentality he had before the veteran signal-caller revealed the shocking news over the weekend.
"That's all you can ask for is an opportunity, at any position," Shough said. "And I'm going to treat it the same way, as if whoever is on the roster, I've got to continue to grow and get better and do my best to elevate the QB room and the team. For me, I was going to come in regardless of him being here or not and try and continue to grow.
"I think he's been such a high-level player for so long, I think it would be a great opportunity to learn from him. It's also a great opportunity to grow myself and be on this team with a lot of great coaches and guys on the team that we have already. I'm just excited for what's forward and the rest of our offseason."