Tyler Shoughâs first home start for the New Orleans Saints wonât just come under the lights of the Superdome. Itâs happening with Drew Brees in his ear â and in his head.
The rookie quarterback recently revealed during a press conference he actually talked to Brees weeks ago, before he ever took over the starting job, asking the Saints legend for advice on how to handle the role heâs now stepping into against the Atlanta Falcons.
âI talked to him a couple weeks ago actually, whenever I was still in a backup role,â Shough said. âI just kind of talked to him about his mindset through his journey⦠his time with the Chargers and I wanted to hear how he developed into who he was here.â
Tyler Shough Says Drew Brees Shared His Mindset & Daily Routine
Shough didnât go looking for a rah-rah speech. He went looking for a blueprint.
He said he pressed Brees for details on his daily routine and process, wanting to know how the future Hall of Famer built himself into the guy in New Orleans. Each detail was important to Shough, who’s gone from the 40th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Louisville, to the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future in Louisiana. Â
âWe talked about his daily routine and process and he had a lot of great things and insight,â Shough said. He added that everything Brees told him âresonated the sameâ whether he was the backup or the starter, and that it all still applies now that heâs QB1.
What Shough keeps coming back to publicly is exactly what Brees built his career on: ball security, timing and fundamentals.
After the win in Charlotte, Shough said he liked that he protected the ball and âkept the chains moving forward,â but admitted he missed a red zone touchdown to Foster Moreau because his eyes and feet werenât clean enough. He called that an area he has to âcontinue to keep getting betterâ as the playbook evolves.
First Home Start, Same Process â But Falcons Energy
Shough insists his approach canât change just because this is his first home start.
âI think itâs just a really cool opportunity,â he said. âAnytime you get to play in the dome⦠it was such a cool experience,â recalling the first time he ran out of the tunnel. Now, instead of mop-up duty, heâs the one leading the huddle from the opening snap.
He said heâs tried to be âmyself in an expanded leadership role,â carrying over the way he prepared as a backup but being more vocal about route detail, urgency at practice and energy on the field. Itâs still his process â just louder.
The opponent, though, does change the emotion.
Asked what heâs heard about the rivalry, Shough laughed that Cameron Jordan has âprobably said enough. He freaking hates them.â Shough said even as a newcomer he can âfeel it,â from Jordanâs stories to fans in town after the Carolina win telling him, âGreat job⦠go beat Atlanta next week.â
âInsane Opportunityâ in a Year the Saints Call a Rebuild
Shough knows whatâs at stake, even as ownership and the front office use the word ârebuild.â
He called getting to play quarterback in the NFL an âinsane opportunity regardless of whoever it is, whatever team youâre on,â and said bluntly, âI want to be here for the long run and my play and how I control each day is going to reflect that.â
The rookie said heâs treating every week the same âwhether weâre 0 and 17 or 17 and 0,â focusing on loving football, loving his teammates and attacking each day. He also admitted he hasnât âearned the rightâ to speak the way veterans like Jordan and Demario Davis do; for now, his job is to bring juice, be consistent and speak up when something needs to be said.
Brees gave him the template. Now the first real test of how heâll wear the job in New Orleans comes with the Falcons in town, the Dome roaring and No. 9 calling every throw from the booth.
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