Saints Training Camp Notebook: Tyler Shough Impresses, Kicking Battle Heats Up as Camp Ends

Sign up for the daily Saints Newsletter by clicking here.

The New Orleans Saints held their last practice of training camp on Wednesday in at Yulman Stadium, the home stadium of Tulane University.

It wasn’t the most eventful day at practice, but one thing was clear: New Orleans love their Saints and the Saints love their people. That was clear as 7,948 Saints fans were in attendance to see their hometown team.

QB of the people 🏈 pic.twitter.com/TYhfRyb3uj
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 27, 2026

Here are some of the more notable observations throughout the night.

Attendance

Aug 08, 2026; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) during training camp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The two newcomers, defensive backs Michael Davis and David Long, were in attendance and partircipated in practice..

Wide receiver Chris Olave was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, proving that his injury scare from Tuesday was nothing to worry about.

Meanwhile, 15 players were still unable to practice: running back Alvin Kamara, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, guard Cesar Ruiz, defensive end Cam Jordan, cornerback Quincy Riley, wide receiver Mason Tipton, wide receiver Trey Palmer, tight end Oscar Delp, running back Devin Neal, guard/center Torricelli Simpkins, defensive tackle John Ridgeway, offensive tackle Barry Wesley, linebacker Chris Rumph, cornerback Dalys Beanum, and defensive back Lorenzo Styles.

The starting lineup continued to feature the same injury fill-ins used throughout the week, with rookie Jeremiah Wright filling in at right guard and Martin Emerson stepping in at cornerback.

Don’t Expect the Starters to Play On Saturday

Saints coach Kellen Moore announced most starters will be held out of the preseason finale. Moore explained that relying on the trio of joint practices was a deliberate approach to secure ample high-quality reps, and he was pleased with the outcome. This marks a distinct change from last year's approach, which had been driven by an ongoing starting quarterback competition.

Tyler Shough Shines

The Saints' offense has remained productive throughout training camp, and Tuesday's session continued that trend.

Quarterback Tyler Shough recorded two touchdown passes to Devaughn Vele and delivered a fade to Kevin Austin Jr. in the back of the end zone.

Shough completed all six of his throws in 7-on-7 drills, including three touchdowns. He connected with Noah Fant in the middle of the field, Olave to the right and Vele for another score against Martin Emerson, who provided tight coverage. Vele's size and catch radius proved difficult to defend. Shough's other three completions went to Travis Etienne twice and Kendre Miller.

Shough recorded three touchdowns across both 11-on-11 sessions, with two going to Austin and one to Vele.

Shough connected with Austin on a quick slant for a touchdown despite an early snap from the center, maintaining his composure and throwing a dart to Austin.

The second touchdown to Austin was Shough's most notable throw of the night during the red zone portion of 11-on-11 drills. He placed the ball in the corner of the end zone, where Austin secured the catch while dragging his toes for the score.

Shough to Austin Jr for the touchdown ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/nygcwvAPv9
— Nader Mirfiq (@Nader723) August 27, 2026

Before that play, Vele made another great contested catch as he ran a fade route to the back of the end zone and reached up to snag the ball for a touchdown.

Shough nearly finished with five touchdowns, but Vele could not secure a one-handed attempt in the end zone and Olave lost possession after his own knee knocked the ball loose.

Kicking Battle Reaches Peak

Tanner Brown emerged as the standout performer in the New Orleans Saints' kicking competition Tuesday, finishing a perfect 8-for-8 during practice at Yulman Stadium. Brown capped his night by converting field goals of 45 and 49 yards during a live pressure drill involving 11 defenders.

Brown outperformed both incumbent starter Charlie Smyth and newcomer former All-Pro Daniel Carlson. Smyth went 7-for-8 on the day, with his sole miss bouncing off the left upright on a session-long 56-yard try. Carlson matched the 7-for-8 mark in standard drills, but pulled a 49-yard field goal attempt wide at the conclusion of practice.

In the final live session, Smyth joined Brown in making both pressure kicks, while Carlson missed his attempt, further distancing Brown in the day's overall results.

New Orleans Saints Preseason Schedule

Sat. Aug. 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (L 24-20)
Sat. Aug. 22: @ Los Angeles Rams (L 24-20)
Fri. Aug. 28: @ Dallas Cowboys, 7 p.m., FOX

Saints Mailbag

Wednesdays, On SI Saints will answer your questions about what we see from our vantage point. To submit your thoughts or inquiries click here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google