The New Orleans Saints may have finally found their franchise quarterback in the post-Drew Brees era. It just cost him a bruise that, two months later, is still there to prove it. Tyler Shough’s impressive performance and the team’s strong finish down the stretch have given Saints fans hope. But it was not all smooth sailing, as Shough suffered a brutal injury late in the season. An injury that, according to him, looked like something straight out of the sci-fi horror classic Alien.

Speaking on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast during Super Bowl LX festivities, Shough revealed the details behind a gruesome injury he sustained in the week 15 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

“It was right there where you get hit 99% of the time,” Shough said. “I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie Alien, but it was like I had a little alien friend there. That was the one time I actually had to walk it off. It was hurting pretty bad.”

“I still have a bruise from two months ago,” he added. “It’s still there; it’s scarring.”

The play where the injury occurred came late in the game, during the Saints’ Week 15 victory over the Panthers. With the score tied 17-17 in the final minute, the Saints were in the middle of an eventual game-winning 62-yard drive. Shough took off on a crucial run to pick up extra yardage to set up a manageable field goal attempt. But as he attempted to slide feet first, Panthers rookie safety Lathan Ransom delivered a hit that left Shough with the nasty bruise.

Ransom was flagged for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on the play. This helped move the Saints into field goal range. Saints kicker Charlie Smyth later converted the eventual game-winning 47-yard field goal. Shough was left visibly shaken after the hit and briefly entered the medical blue tent.

The gruesome nature of the injury did not appear to affect Tyler Shough’s performance the following game. Against the New York Jets the very next week, Shough threw for 308 yards and a touchdown. The Saints walloped the Jets 29-6. The performance also came in the middle of a Saints’ four-game win streak.

Shough has dealt with far more serious injuries throughout his unusually long six-year college career. His three-year stint at Texas Tech proved to be especially snakebitten. In 2021, he suffered a broken collarbone that limited him to just four starts that season. He then re-injured the same collarbone the following year. And in 2023, Shough suffered an even more devastating setback when he broke his fibula. The injury required him to be carted off the field with an air cast and ultimately led to season-ending surgery. Shough was only able to muster 15 starts across his three years at Texas Tech.

But with these injury setbacks behind him, Shough and the Saints can head into the 2026 season with genuine optimism.

Why 2026 looks promising for the New Orleans Saints and Tyler Shough

Shough showed a lot of promise during his rookie season after taking over from Spencer Rattler. The Saints were sitting at 1-7 at that point. Over the next nine games with Shough under center, the Saints went 5-4. The rookie quarterback put together solid numbers during the team’s resurgence. He threw for roughly 2,400 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing 67.6% of his passes. He rushed 45 times for 186 yards and added three touchdowns on the ground.

His impressive play earned Shough the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year award. He was also named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team and earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month honors for December/January.

The Saints also did not sit idly by this offseason. They made several moves to improve the offensive infrastructure around Shough going into 2026. They signed running back Travis Etienne Jr. and guard David Edwards each to four-year contracts worth a combined $113 million. In the draft, the Saints also selected highly touted WR prospect Jordyn Tyson out of Arizona State with the eighth overall pick.

The Saints, after finishing the 2025 season strongly with Shough under center, have given fans hope. The NFC South looks wide open for the taking. The Panthers captured the division title with an 8-9 record last season. With Shough now fully recovered and healthy, he enters his first full NFL offseason as the unquestioned starter. If the Saints have aspirations of competing for the NFC South crown, it is this year.