Well, who can forget the cruelest prank of the year? For the second Draft day in a row, the Sanders family gathered and waited. Shedeur Sander’s phone finally lit up, the Well Off Media cameras were rolling, and the BBQ still smelled fresh. They believed it was happening. A voice came: “It is Mickey Loomis here, GM of the Saints.” Shedeur grinned, trapped between nerves and relief. “Been waiting on you,” he said. The voice at the other end assured him, “We’re gonna take you with our next pick right here, man.” Shedeur’s response? “Yes, sir, let’s be legendary.” But the response that came next left him all puzzled.

“You’re gonna have to wait a little bit longer, man. Sorry about that.” And click. The call just disconnected, and the Saints vanished in an instant. It was a gut punch. A prank call, later identified as made by the son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, left Shedeur devastated. While Shedeur would eventually be picked by the Browns in the fifth round, does it represent a missed opportunity for the Saints? Should they have turned a prank into a reality?

The New Orleans Saints passed on Shedeur Sanders twice, and Hall of Famer Drew Brees believes it could come back to haunt his former franchise. Speaking on The Dan Patrick Show, he said, “All you need is one guy to love you, or one team or one coach or one scout…For whatever reason, all these other teams just didn’t see it or didn’t believe it. There’s that one person on that one team or one coach or that one scout who just stands up on the table for the guy and is like ‘I’m telling you he’s got something, we got it, we gotta take him’ and then the rest is history. And that’s all Shedeur Sanders needs.” Brees didn’t hold back.

Instead of picking the Colorado superstar, the Saints drafted Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round with the No. 40 pick. Brees believes this move could backfire, similar to what happened with the Saints passing on Lamar Jackson in 2018.

When New Orleans vaulted up the draft board in 2018, the buzz was immediate. Were they targeting Lamar Jackson? With Drew Brees pushing 40 and operating on a year-to-year deal, it made sense. Jackson, a Heisman winner who had progressed every season at Louisville, looked like an ideal heir.

But the Saints had other plans. Rather than draft the future, they doubled down on the present, aiming to squeeze every ounce of championship potential out of Brees. They took edge rusher Marcus Davenport instead. Jackson would have to wait until the Ravens scooped him up with the final pick of the first round.

In his assessment, Brees mentioned, “I don’t want to hear the Sanders hate. It’s a slow day, and I stand on this: we’ll regret passing on Shedeur just like the Saints did with Lamar Jackson.” He also added, “I’m rooting for QB Tyler Shough too, but I’ll always support Shedeur. He’s an easy guy to pull for — and truthfully, he should’ve been a Saint.” 

This will hurt more for the Saints fans, knowing that Shedeur’s father, Deion, seemed to be on board with the idea of his son moving to New Orleans.

“I like the colors,” Sanders said when asked by Saints Block Party host Adam West about the possibility of Moore coaching Shedeur. “I like the colors, I like the city, I like the food. I like the people. I like the possibility.”

The move not to draft Shedeur is already looking like a fumble from the Saints. On May 10, Derek Carr announced his retirement from the league, leaving Kellen Moore without a starting QB. The QB room at New Orleans now includes Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and the rookie Shough.

Tyler Shough steps up, giving Kellen Moore’s new era a promising start

Kellen Moore and the Saints had their sights set on a different future when the internet swept over Shedeur. Tyler Shough, a 26-year-old seven-season collegiate veteran with 7,820 passing yards and the kind of resume that makes evaluators scratch their heads and fans lean in, was selected by them with pick No. 40. Since Archie Manning, this was the Saints’ highest-drafted quarterback.

And Shough is already demonstrating his charm and ease in the spotlight. In a recent Saints video that was uploaded on X, “I can throw the football left-handed pretty good,” he said. “Might try that in a game… just kidding.” The Saints are leaning in, and Shough is settling in quickly. From Oregon to Texas Tech to Louisville, Shough’s journey was anything but straight. He has witnessed setbacks, injuries, and transfers. However, he had an incredible 2024 season with 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only 6 picks. And what else? At Louisville, he flourished in Jeff Brohm’s pro-style offence.

Yes, Tyler Shough is 26 years old. When your starter (Derek Carr) has retired and the offence urgently needs a leader, experience is important. And as Robert Griffin III said it best, “Tyler Shough is a good QB. His arm is one of the more lively arms in this NFL Draft Class. His tape was not better than Shedeur Sanders’ tape. Period.” Still, here we are. Moore caught a glimpse and went with Shough. Enough to place a wager on a quarterback in the mid-tier for the Saints’ future. It might be dangerous. Maybe, brilliant. In any case, the Shough Era is now formally underway.