When New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees retired in 2020, appreciation for his time with the team was strong, but the concern about his successor lingered at the back of everyone’s mind. This feeling has been present since that point, but finally, after Tyler Shough’s performance against the Carolina Panthers, the signs of a potential franchise QB were present.
Many people have their opinions on Shough’s performance in the Saints’ win, but one may stand above the rest, as it came from Brees.
How did Drew Brees View Tyler Shough’s Performance?
Against the Panthers, Shough had 282 passing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, a 70.4 completion percentage, and had some excellent high-level throws. This was an impressive performance by any sense of the word, but getting a stamp of approval from one of, if not the, best to ever do it goes a long way.
On “WWL Radio,” speaking with Mike Detillier, Brees analyzed Shough’s performance against the Panthers, saying, “Yeah, look, it was an impressive performance, and he’s one of those guys that will only get better each time he gets a chance to get on the field.”
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Any positive feedback from a legend is excellent, but it coming from Brees means a bit more for Saints fans and Shough himself. One of the interesting things Brees said was that Shough can improve the more he plays, and if that does happen, the future of the Saints looks a bit different.
Shough Could Be the Future at QB for New Orleans
Going off of Shough’s performance against the Panthers, he looked like a franchise QB that could lead any team. Still, it is far too early to know if that is really the case, but the signs were even there in his other starting opportunity against the Los Angeles Rams. It was nowhere near as good a performance, but there were a good number of issues that day, and Shough still had an okay day.
The Saints have a bye week in Week 11 and then will face the Atlanta Falcons. This will be a very good test for Shough because the Falcons fall in between the Panthers and the Rams. Yes, Atlanta has a worse record than the Panthers, but they have a better roster and a much better defensive line. If Shough can deliver a great performance and improve in certain areas (as Brees stated), the Saints will know who their QB will be in 2026.