Well, Tyler Shough‘s fate keeps playing hide-and-seek with him since the start of his college career. Redshirting at Oregon in 2018, backing up Justin Herbert in 2019, and starting in 2020 before losing playing time and transferring. At Texas Tech, he won the starting job in 2021, broke his collarbone, returned in 2022, suffered another injury, but finished strong with a Texas Bowl MVP performance. A broken fibula ended his 2023 season early, leading to another transfer. Finally, at Louisville in 2024, he thrived, going 8-4, beating Miami and Clemson, and becoming a top-40 NFL draft pick for the Saints. What a run, right? But now that Derek Carr‘s no longer with the Saints, he might finally get his first shot and shine bright in the league.

The New Orleans QB carousel got a serious hit on Saturday when, out of the blue, Derek Carr made his retirement announcement. “For more than 11 years we have been incredibly blessed and humbled by this experience. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.” Carr expressed his gratitude towards the program. Now, on one side, it’s a big blow for the program, but on the other side, it opens the QB1 position for Tyler Shough, Jake Haener, and Spencer Rattler. And what makes the competition more interesting is their HC, Kellen Moore, who makes the fierce fight even more evident.

Now, Preme Sports hits IG with an appreciation post for Tyler Shough but with a wink of caution. “Tyler Shough is turning heads early at Saints rookie minicamp, as he looks to emerge as the early favorite to be New Orleans’ starting QB in 2025.” But that’s just half of it, as Kellon Moore made it clear that the competition has just started and “We’re going to let all three of these guys roll.” Now, even though Moore’s going to evaluate all three of them, Tyler’s draft was a well-planned strategy after Derek Carr’s injury.

“We certainly felt like adding a quarterback to that room would’ve been valuable under all circumstances,” Moore said. Now he did make the right choice getting him into the team, as Tyler Shough is coming off a 3,195-yard season with 23 TDs and just six interceptions. And on top of that, this guy has a great deep ball, insane accuracy with a 62.7% completion rate, and steps up in the pocket well.

And his seven years of experience make him a top priority for the Saints. “Tyler’s experience, certainly there’s value to that,” Moore said. “You can see it in the classroom aspect of this thing. His ability to process football at a very easy rate in the classroom. It’s really, really good when you throw him up there and you’re watching film and you’re talking about plays and concepts. He’s got great exposure, and he’s got great experiences that he can lean on.”

And it’s not just New Orleans HC who thinks he can make a significant impact on the team, but also two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Branch, who’s showing immense faith in his skills. “Tyler’s all that. I promise you. I want to be the person to quiet down all the grumblings that I have, probably, slightly heard. About ‘Oh, we didn’t take the right quarterback.’ No, you took the right quarterback, trust me, I promise you,” Branch said.

But looks like Shough might not be the starting QB after all, with fans drawing future predictions on Arch Manning.

Tyler Shough’s QB1 dream might see a serious hit

Arch Manning finally takes the reins of Texas’s offense after Quinn Ewers rockets to the NFL, mullet and all. The 21-year-old, steeped in football legacy, leads Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns into the SEC’s gauntlet in 2025—a compelling storyline, except the NFL might call sooner than expected. Specifically, the New Orleans Saints. With Derek Carr’s retirement due to a shoulder injury, the city’s already plotting a ‘Tank for Arch’ campaign. The hitch? Arch Manning’s unpredictable future. The Mannings don’t follow scripts; while Who Dat Nation prepares for jersey sales, he might just stay in Austin.

The Saints use a 2025 second-rounder on Louisville quarterback Shough. Rattler and Haener remain on the depth chart, but realistically, none of these quarterbacks are game-changers. Shough might be a diamond in the rough, but relying on a rookie to lead a franchise is risky, even with C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels succeeding. Most experts agree: the Saints are heading for a brutal rebuild.

If that happens? Arch Manning becomes the hottest commodity since July beignets. Archie Manning’s grandson, an Isidore Newman alum, literally grew up in the Superdome’s shadow. It’s a storybook scenario. But there’s a major twist. Preme Sports’ IG post highlights a ‘Tank for Arch’ movement among Saints fans following Derek Carr’s retirement. While Arch is draft-eligible in 2026 and his grandfather played for New Orleans, fans are already connecting the dots. However, reports suggest his entry into next year’s draft isn’t guaranteed.

Arch Manning may skip the 2026 NFL draft. The Mannings don’t force greatness; just ask Peyton, who could’ve gone first overall in ‘97 but stayed another year. Eli returned for a fifth year at Ole Miss. Arch? He’s thrown fewer than 100 college passes. While lucrative NIL deals await, the family’s not hurting financially. It’s about experience, development, and game film. “We’d be ignoring family history if we assumed Arch was gonna be in the 2026 draft,” Albert Breer told SI.

That’s the flaw in ‘tanking for Arch’. The Saints can draft-plan, but not for the Mannings. Insiders and league executives agree: don’t assume Arch will declare in 2026. He’s more likely to stay in college another year, especially with NIL deals extending his comfort into 2027. Legacy, not rushing, dictates his choices. So, what if a team tanks for Arch… and he never declares? That brings us to the Saints’ big ol’ dilemma.