How Tyler Shough’s 5 Starts Stack Up Against Bills' Josh Allen

New Orleans Saints fans should be excited about rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.

Shough was the highest-selected quarterback by the Saints since Archie Manning was taken with the No. 2 pick in the 1972 NFL Draft. Shough was selected with the No. 40 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. When Shough was selected, there was a lot of excitement, but also questions about him as a prospect.

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The reason for this is that he's much older than the typical rookie quarterback. Shough was in college for seven seasons and is 26 years old. In comparison, Cam Ward is 23 years old and Jaxson Dart is 22 years old. They were the two quarterbacks picked before Shough.

The Saints may have a star

Dec 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) throws downfield during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Shough had to wait to get his opportunity, but he has shined since taking over as the team's starter. The rookie has made five starts and has 1,084 passing yards, five touchdown passes, four interceptions, 94 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. The Saints have gone 2-3 with Shough, in comparison to 1-7 with Spencer Rattler.

Jeff Nowak of Audacy Sports pointed out on X that Shough's first five starts compare more favorably to reigning MVP Josh Allen than you would think.

"Looked this up for perspective ... first 5 career starts for: Josh Allen (2018): 69-124 (55.6%), 758 yards, 2 TDs, 5 INTs; 31 carries, 129 yards, 3 TDs … 2-3 record," Nowak wrote. "Tyler Shough: 103-152 (67.8%), 1,084 yards, 5 TDs, 5 INTs; 25 carries, 94 yards, 2 TDs … 2-3 record. I want to make clear I'm not telling you that Tyler Shough is going to be Josh Allen. But they do have similar builds and can attack defenses in similar ways. People can also pretend they knew all along, but a lot of folks were clowning the Josh Allen pick back then.

"He made his biggest impact early with his legs (and really came on strong to finish out his rookie season). Worth noting his first start came in Week 2, Shough's in Week 10. Josh missed the next four games after his first five starts, so the comparison stops being 1 to 1 after this point."

That's pretty insane, right? Shough has quickly gone from being viewed as a potential short-term, stop-gap option, to more and more people now viewing him as a potential long-term quarterback option for the Saints. The buzz is growing around the 26-year-old. If he can keep up his current level of play over the team's final four games, he should be the guy moving forward.

The Saints' overall record is bad, but so was the New England Patriots' last year. But the Patriots got the quarterback right in Drake Maye and then invested in the team ahead of the 2025 season. Now, the Patriots are 11-2. If Shough can keep up his level of play, invest in him the same way and then reap the benefits.

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