In a stunning development, Derek Carr announced his retirement on May 10.
The New Orleans Saints quarterback’s decision came as a shock to many, but not completely to his possible successor, Tyler Shough.
Shough got a bit of a heads-up from head coach Kellen Moore, which was helpful with the rookie quarterback having to face the media later that day.
Now, Shough’s poised to take on the starting spot should he win the job and is ready to ride the rollercoaster ahead.
“Kellen told me before he announced it in practice, which was good, just cause I think I had media later that day, so, I didn’t want to go in blind,” Shough said on the St. Brown Podcast of Carr’s retirement, which came to be due to a shoulder injury. “Like you said, the word opportunity just sticks in my head. I think, regardless, I think it would have been great just because of who he is and how high of a level he’s played at to come in and learn from, and I’m going to come in and compete, regardless, and try to get better.”
Though not as startling as Carr’s departure from the Saints, Shough’s arrival was a bit surprising as he was selected No. 40 overall in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It was earlier than many prognosticated for the 25-year-old.
A 2018 high school graduate who will turn 26 in September, Shough is hardly your average rookie. He was once Justin Herbert’s backup at Oregon before finding his way to Texas Tech and finally Louisville. Along the way, he’s dealt with myriad injuries and joins the Saints with plenty of question marks to his game, among them his ability to perform under pass-rush duress.
However, Shough believes his bumpy path to the NFL has him battle-tested for the peaks and pitfalls that lie ahead.
“I think for me and what I’ve been through: I’ve been carted off the field, I’ve been booed, I’ve been an MVP, I’ve been a starter, I’ve been a backup to Herbert -- I'm like, throw some s--- at me, you’re not going to faze me if we start off 0-2 or I f------ suck,” Shough said. “It’s going to be fine. That’s what I was excited about, that opportunity, or any opportunity, and I think, going into it, I’ve got to continue to get to know the guys; like I said earlier I’m still a rookie. I may be older, but I have to earn the respect of everybody and do my job.”
Though he’s the frontrunner, Shough also has to earn the starting job. He’s competing with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, aiming to become just the second Saints Week 1 rookie QB starter and the first since Archie Manning in 1971.
It’s an opportunity Shough is grateful to have.
“I think it’s just, you know you look back, what are you willing to sacrifice at that position?” Shough said. “If you would have told me as a 20-year-old, you’re going to get drafted, but you are going to have to wait four or five years and you’re going to break your bones three times and think about not playing football again and you’re going to be depressed and you're gonna have all these emotions, but if you just stay at it then I would have done it and I did. At that time, you’re wondering why is this happening and what’s going on and a lot of unknowns. That’s literally the NFL, that’s the game of football.”
Not many expected Carr to retire this offseason.
Not many expected all the twists and turns of Shough’s college career to lead him to the doorstep of being the Saints starter as a rookie, but they have.
He’s raring to take New Orleans' starting QB reins and deal with the good, bad and ugly that comes with being an NFL starting quarterback.