Following the 2020 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints were in an unenviable position. They needed a replacement for the greatest quarterback in franchise history, Drew Brees. Brees was a Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-Pro, a four-time Second-team All-Pro, a thirteen-time Pro Bowler, and led the league in passing seven times. For all those accomplishments and more, he earned a golden Hall of Fame jacket.
Replacing a decent starting quarterback is one thing, but the Saints had to replace a legend of the game. Look at the Miami Dolphins and their long list of quarterbacks after Dan Marino to see how difficult that process can be.
New Orleans started off by trying out Jameis Winston as the successor. Winston spent the season backing up Brees, and as a former first-overall draft pick, it made sense to bet on his talent. An injury derailed his time as starter after he went 5-2 to begin the season. Winston stayed with the team for two more seasons but never reclaimed his spot as the full-time starter.
In 2022, New Orleans turned to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, who had a solid career with the Cincinnati Bengals before they moved on to Joe Burrow. Dalton was just okay during his one-year stint, going 6-8 with 2,871 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
The 2023 season saw the Saints attempt to remain competitive with Derek Carr at the helm. Carr was the Raiders’ starting quarterback for years; he is the team’s all time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, but his time as their starter ended after 2022. The Saints signed him to a four-year, $150 million contract to be their starter that March, and all things considered, he had a decent year, going 9-8 with 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
The 2024 season saw Carr return as the starter, but he dealt with injuries throughout the year and started only 10 games, in which the Saints went 5-5. He was spotted by Spencer Rattler, who went 0-6 in his starts, throwing for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions. Jake Haener started one game that year, a loss to the Washington Commanders, in which he went 18 of 39 for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Spencer Rattler began the 2025 season as the starter and improved on his previous season. Unfortunately, that only meant that he went 1-7 instead of winless. He threw for 1,586 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions. In Week 9, rookie quarterback Tyler Shough would make his first start. The second-round pick came into the league with some skepticism because he was 26 when drafted. On the flip side, his age and seven years of college football gave him a lot of knowledge and experience.
Shough had an impressive rookie campaign, going 5-4 for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. That was enough to earn him the starting job headed into the 2026 season. The first three weeks have been tough for the Saints as they’ve lost two of three, but Shough has been a bright spot. He went off in the season opener for 410 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-30 overtime loss that came down to New Orleans missing a two-point conversion that would have given them the win. He threw for 252 yards and a touchdown in the team’s Week 2 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. This week he went toe to toe with Kirk Cousins, passing for 255 yards and four touchdowns in a hard-fought 35-27 loss.
Shough is second in the league in passing yards with 917, behind only Bryce Young, who has 939. He’s shown poise and growth, never shrinking in the moment, and has helped the Saints stay competitive in each game. If he keeps growing as he gets more game experience, it really feels like the sky is the limit, and New Orleans may have found their quarterback of the future.
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