New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has been named the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year, the league announced today, capping off an impressive debut season for the first-year signal caller.
Shough becomes the fourth player in franchise history to receive the honor, joining running backs George Rogers (1981), Rueben Mayes (1986), and Alvin Kamara (2017).
“I am truly humbled and honored to be chosen for this award,” Shough said. “Coming in as a rookie, my goal was to do anything I could to contribute to our team’s success. Whatever I was asked to do, I just wanted to help the team. This wouldn’t be possible without all of my teammates and coaches giving everything they had each and every week to help us win.”
Shough also expressed gratitude to Saints fans, saying their passion for the team and the city of New Orleans continues to inspire him.
Selected by New Orleans in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft (40th overall) out of Louisville, Shough quickly established himself as a key contributor. In 11 games, including nine starts, the 6-foot-5, 219-pound quarterback completed 221 of 327 passes (67.6 percent) for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He finished the season with a 91.3 passer rating and led the entire NFL with a 103.3 passer rating on third down.
Shough set Saints rookie records in nearly every major passing category, and his completion percentage ranks as the third-highest among qualifying rookie quarterbacks in NFL history.
In addition to the Rookie of the Year honor, Shough was named to the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) All-Rookie Team and earned NFL Rookie of the Month honors for December and January. He is also a finalist for the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, which will be announced tonight at the 15th annual NFL Honors ceremony at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
With a decorated rookie season now complete, Shough’s future appears bright as the Saints look ahead to building around their young quarterback.
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