Tyler Shough Is A Legit NFL Rookie Of The Year Contender, And That's Really Something
The Saints rookie quarterback started the season on the bench, but a late-season surge suddenly has him right in the thick of a fascinating award race.
The headline might be a bit of hyperbole because it's hard to figure out what would make someone the most improbable NFL Rookie of the Year ever. However, I'm comfortable throwing New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough in that conversation after another impressive start against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17.
Entering Week 17, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was the odds-on favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He entered Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks just 76 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season and had seven touchdown grabs.
However, Panthers' quarterback Bryce Young struggled mightily against the Seahawks' defense, throwing for only 54 yards. McMillan had one catch for 5 yards. Meanwhile, Shough balled out against the Titans, throwing for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns. He didn't turn the ball over.
Shough has 913 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions over his past three games, all New Orleans victories, and he's now 5-3 as a starter.
Tyler Shough's Improbable Rookie of the Year Run
What makes Shough's candidacy so unlikely is that he didn't begin the year as the team's starting quarterback. The Saints selected the former Louisville signal-caller in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft (40th overall). But 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler won the starting job coming out of the preseason.
Rattler, who went 0-6 as a starter in his rookie season, led the Saints to a 1-7 start this year. He had as many turnovers (five interceptions and three lost fumbles) as touchdown passes (eight). Following a 23-3 loss to Tampa Bay in Week 8, Saints head coach Kellen Moore made the switch to Shough.
The decision didn't pay off immediately; New Orleans went 1-3 in Shough's first four starts. However, it was clear the rookie brought more juice to the team's offense and energy that was lacking with Rattler. Things started turning around after the slow start, though.
Shough has led the team to four straight wins, including beating the two teams competing for the NFC South title (Carolina and Tampa Bay).
A midseason QB switch, a four-game win streak, and a wobbling field of contenders have thrust Tyler Shough into the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation.
(Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
The question now is whether a rookie who barely saw the field for half a season can realistically win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Does Shough Deserve ROY?
The short answer is yes. Shough has earned consideration for the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year award in what is a down year for rookies across the league. The No. 1 pick, Titans quarterback Cam Ward, has been mostly terrible in his first year. No. 2 pick Travis Hunter suffered a season-ending injury in October. Another first-round quarterback, Jaxson Dart, has been in and out of the Giants' lineup with multiple injuries.
None of the other contenders (Patriots' running back TreVeyon Henderson, Buccaneers' wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, and Raiders' running back Ashton Jeanty) has separated himself enough to overcome Shough's impressive stretch of games.
And, let's be honest: quarterbacks are always going to be valued higher than players at other positions. McMillan's impressive start, particularly for a Panthers team that surprisingly found itself in playoff contention, appeared to be enough to overtake the quarterbacks. But he's only had 12 catches for 181 yards (although three of the catches went for touchdowns) over his past five games after an eight-catch, 130-yard, two-touchdown explosion in a Week 11 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Ultimately, it's going to come down to Week 18. The Carolina Panthers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the winner earning the NFC South crown. If McMillan shows out in that contest, and helps the Panthers reach the postseason, he's probably going to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. If he records at least 71 receiving yards and hits that all-important 1,000-yard threshold, it only strengthens his case.
Shough's Saints aren't playing for much in Week 18 against the Falcons, who are also eliminated from postseason contention. But if McMillan's struggles continue and Shough posts one more impressive game, it might be enough to vault the first-year quarterback to Rookie of the Year status despite starting just nine games.
And that would really be something.