The New Orleans Saints reached an agreement on a fully guaranteed contract with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, ESPN reported on Saturday.
The Saints, who have experienced a significant number of difficulties at the quarterback position this offseason, prioritized getting a deal done with their second-round draft choice rather than quibbling over the guarantee amount.
Helping the deal along, the pick just ahead of Shough at No. 40 overall was Luther Burden III with the Chicago Bears (at No. 39), who likewise inked a fully guaranteed deal Friday.
The four-year, $10.795 million deal puts all of the Saints’ 2025 draft picks under contract with training camp set to begin on Wednesday.
For Shough, getting a deal done early gives him a better chance to earn the starting role over second-year player Spencer Rattler. The two are considered co-favorites to start for new coach Kellen Moore’s debut when the Saints host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.
Derek Carr, the team’s starting quarterback the last two seasons, announced his retirement on May 10 due to a right shoulder injury. His status prior to that point had been in doubt, helping prod the Saints into taking a quarterback in the April draft.
“I think that’s all you can ask for is an opportunity at any position and I’m going to treat it the same way, as if, whoever was on the roster, I’ve got to continue to grow and get better and do my best to elevate the quarterback room,” Shough said following Carr’s retirement.
Shough, 25, led Louisville to a 9-4 record while passing for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions in his senior season.
Rattler, 24, was a fifth-round pick out of South Carolina last year. He was 0-6 as a starter, completing 57 percent of his passes for 1,317 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions as a rookie.
Other returnee Jake Haener recently suffered an oblique strain, costing him several offseason workouts. He completed 18 of 39 passes for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception in eight games (one start) last season.