Super Bowl champion with Saints Drew Brees makes something clear about Tyler Shough and the QB battle

Tyler Shough was one of the New Orleans Saints’ picks in the latest draft, and his potential could very well position him as the team’s starting quarterback under Kellen Moore following Derek Carr’s retirement. Drew Brees, a former Super Bowl champion, knows a thing or two about the role — and didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts on the matter.

Carr’s unexpected decision to retire from professional football sparked debate over who should succeed him under center. Alongside the former Louisville standout, another strong candidate emerging is Spencer Rattler — though head coach Moore has yet to give any indication of who will start in Week 1.

When asked by the media about his opinion on Shough, Brees was clear in stating that, although he doesn’t know the player’s full story, he believes the QB has the potential to take charge of the first team moving forward.

“I’ve seen what the fans have seen,” Brees told reporters at the opening of a new Surge Entertainment center in Metairie, La. “I haven’t really dove deep to take a look at his college film. I think what’s impressive to me is, the kid has faced a lot of adversity and he’s overcome it every step of the way.

“Obviously spent a lot of time in college. Three years at Oregon, three years at Tech and one year at Louisville. I love [Louisville coach] Jeff Brohm. Jeff Brohm was Purdue’s head coach for a long time. Developed Aidan O’Connell and a few others. So he’s kind of known as one of those guys who can develop QBs. And obviously, Tyler Shough really thrived in that offense with him last year.”

Confidence in Moore’s leadership

These are times of transition for the franchise, and the head coach position is no exception. As one of the team’s all-time legends, Drew Brees made something clear about Kellen Moore ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things about Kellen,” the former Super Bowl champion QB said about the new head coach, per the Saints.

“I really respected Kellen more when he was a player at Boise State. They were always going in as underdogs and beating teams they had no business being on the field with. He was just one of these methodical guys who had moxie and leadership skills,” he also said. “And he carried all those traits into being a coach.”