Shough: More 'growing pains' when you're drafted young

Tyler Shough, the New Orleans Saints' newest quarterback, doesn't think his age is a detriment.

"In a perfect scenario, I play 10, 12 years, and I'm still mid-30s, and I think any team would ask for that," Shough said Friday, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell.

He added: "I think when you're a younger guy at 21, 22, you ... don't know what you don't know, and there's some growing pains, and the support system around me with my wife and my family, I just feel a lot more equipped to come in and handle it."

Shough was the 40th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft and the third quarterback selected. The passer turns 26 in September and played seven years of college football. He's one of the oldest players ever selected in the opening two rounds of the common era.

The Saints added Shough amid uncertainty about Derek Carr's future. Carr, who was the Saints' starting passer the past two seasons, is dealing with a shoulder injury that could jeopardize his 2025 campaign.

"We just felt like (Shough) was a really good player," head coach Kellen Moore said Friday, per Terrell. "Obviously we felt good about Tyler through this process, and I don't think there's anything wrong with ever investing in the quarterback room. We feel like there's a lot of depth in there now as we go through this process, and let's let it play out."

Shough played for three teams in his seven years in college and finished his career in Louisville. The quarterback threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2024, finishing with an 8-4 record.

Shough is the first passer selected by the Saints in the opening two rounds since 1971. New Orleans has five more picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, which continues Saturday at noon ET.