The rookie quarterback is racking up the accolades.
The Pro Football Writers Association held its vote for its yearly awards, and two Saints were named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Quarterback Tyler Shough and left tackle Kelvin Banks, Jr., were voted to the team. The Saints were one of six teams with multiple players on the team, and the only team with two players on the offensive side of the ball.
The last Saints player named to the All-Rookie Team was Chris Olave in 2022, marking the first time since 2019 that New Orleans has multiple players on the All-Rookie Team.
Shough was also named as a finalist for AP's Offensive Rookie of the Year. If you're looking for a sign that Shough will be named the OROY, consider that the last two quarterbacks (Washington's Jayden Daniels & Houston's CJ Stroud) won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
The 40th overall pick appeared in 11 games with nine starts and completed 221-of-327 passes (67.6 pct.) for 2,384 yards with ten touchdowns, only six interceptions, and a 91.3 passer rating, with his 103.3 third-down passer rating leading the entire NFL. Shough's 67.6 completion percentage was the third-highest among qualifying rookies all-time.
Alvin Kamara was the last Saint to win OROY and was the third running back in Saints history to win the award, joining George Rogers (1981) and Rueben Mayes (1986). The other finalists include New York's Jaxson Dart, Carolina's Tet McMillan, Tampa Bay's Emeka Egbuka, and New England's TreVeyon Henderson.
Shough led New Orleans to a 5-4 record in his nine starts, finishing the season with more team wins than any other rookie quarterback despite starting only half the season. Three of the five wins Shough engineered featured game-winning drives in the fourth quarter — the rest of the rookie class of quarterbacks combined for three game-winning drives.
The winner of the award will be announced during NFL Honors on February 5th. Linebacker Demario Davis is up for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Quarterback Drew Brees and guard Jahri Evans are also finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026.
It is a very exciting time for Saints' fans and the optimism for their future. Shough winning the OROY would put a bow on a wildly successful rookie campaign. The Saints also hold the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft, following a successful 2025 draft class.