The NFL announced Thursday that New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has been named the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year. The honor was determined through a leaguewide fan vote. The announcement arrived hours before the annual NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night.
Pepsi Fan Vote for Tyler Shough Precedes Associated Press’ Decision Tonight
The Pepsi Zero Sugar award is one of several rookie honors recognized by the league, but it is not the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year. The AP awards, voted on by a panel of 50 nationwide media members, will be revealed Thursday night during NFL Honors.
Shough is among the finalists for that AP honor, along with Carolina receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson, Giants quarterback Jaxon Dart, and Tampa Bay receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Shough, 26, was drafted by the Saints with the 40th overall pick last spring after a college career at Oregon, Texas Tech, and Louisville. He was the third quarterback selected in the 2025 draft behind Cam Ward and Dart. The Saints made him the second-highest-drafted quarterback in their history, behind Archie Manning.
Fans vote Tyler Shough as Rookie of the Year 👏 pic.twitter.com/7GISOhr07P
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) February 5, 2026
Shough did not see the field properly until Week 8, when he replaced Spencer Rattler against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He made his first start the following week and helped the Saints finish with a 5-4 record over the final nine games of the season. During that stretch, he completed more than 69 percent of his passes for an average of 250 yards per game with 10 touchdown passes, six interceptions, and three rushing touchdowns.
Several of those performances came with key starters Alvin Kamara, Rashid Shaheed, and Devaughn Vele unavailable. The Saints used multiple practice squad players at wide receiver and running back during the second half of the year. Shough ranked 23rd in PFSN’s QBi Metric. The Saints roster is expected to continue to transform under second-year head coach Kellen Moore, but Shough is considered the quarterback of the future, for now.
In a statement released by the team, Shough thanked his teammates, coaches, and fans and credited the award to the organization’s collective effort. He was one of six finalists for the fan-voted honor.
The NFL Honors show will air Thursday night from San Francisco, with the Associated Press revealing the official winners on stage. Shough’s name remains on the ballot with other finalists, and the result will be decided by the media panel rather than the fan vote that produced Thursday morning’s announcement.
