These NFL teams are wishing they drafted Tyler Shough

Tyler Shough has turned heads to start the 2026 season. Within his first two games this year he has 667 passing yards with six passing touchdowns. Where did this come from? Did Shough always have this potential and teams just ignored it? Shough wasn’t talked about in the same way Cam Ward was in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Shedeur Sanders ended up getting more hype than Shough. Yet, Shough has turned out to be the best quarterback in that class so far. 

Because of his scorching hot start, these four teams are kicking themselves for not seeing his potential. The New Orleans Saints took Shough in the second round of the 2025 draft and he’s quickly turning into their franchise star.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns finally got the game they’ve been expecting all along out of Deshaun Watson on Sunday. Looking back, if the Browns would have drafted Tyler Shough, they wouldn’t have had to wait this long to get that performance. In fact, it probably never would have happened because Shough is proving to be one of the quarterbacks in the 2025 class. Cleveland would love to have their quarterback problem solved because it would make them feel like they can finally be competitive in the AFC North again. 

Shough has nearly 700 passing yards in his first two games of the 2026 season. New Orleans is cashing in on the player everybody thought was too old to be a franchise quarterback. Now the Saints are showing everybody they were foolish for letting him fall to the second round. Knowing Cleveland, they probably would have found a way to screw over Shough like they have Shedeur Sanders so maybe it’s better they don’t have him. They’ll always be wondering, though, if once Watson finishes his Browns tenure, maybe Shough wouldn’t have been a bad option. 

Minnesota Vikings

I’m sure Minnesota would have loved to avoid the quarterback carousel they’ve put themselves in. Kyler Murray is a decent option for now but he has some durability problems. As for Carson Wentz, well he’s just a backup for Murray and J.J. McCarthy is the quarterback they thought would be their future. They could have avoided the last two seasons of quarterback problems if they knew Shough was going to turn into what he has this season. 

Kevin O’Connell is a quarterback whisperer so if he had his hands on Shough, you could only imagine where the Vikings offense would be with Shough. For now, Minnesota is winning with no long term certainty at quarterback. Since it’s working, no need to fix it. That said, Minnesota would love to have the security Shough seems to be giving the Saints. 

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta has to play Shough twice a year and I’m sure they wish they had him rather than having to play him. When you consider they’ve had to play Jack Strand and Cooper Rush this year, the Falcons would much rather have Shough. Instead, the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. who has yet to play a full season and has yet to play in 2026 as he’s recovering from an ACL injury. Penix could still be a serviceable option for now, but there’s no questions about Shough right now. He’s playing at a really good level and showing that he’s the answer the Saints needed. 

Kevin Stefanski is scrambling to find some clarity under center. Stefanski wasn’t the coach in Atlanta during Shough’s draft class, but if he had inherited him, it would have given him a more comfortable option than what he currently has. Between Tua Tagovailoa and Penix ailing and Rush and Strand as the current healthy options, having Shough sounds a lot better if you’re the Falcons. 

New York Jets

The New York Jets have been searching for their quarterback as well. Geno Smith has surprisingly played well his first two games, but there’s a chance he reverts back to his old ways. More than that, he’s at the end of his career and the Jets don’t have his replacement on the roster. None of the options they have are worth turning to in any long term capacity. Shough, however, would have been a great quarterback for them. In fact, if the Jets had Shough, it could also save Aaron Glenn. 

Glenn was in hot water after his first season last year. If New York already had its franchise quarterback, Glenn might be afforded more time to get New York back into playoff contention. But the Jets signed Smith because they desperately need to win enough games to prove to the front office this coaching staff is the right fit for them.They’ll also be judged on their ability to draft and develop this roster. Until the Jets have their franchise quarterback, they’ll always be in rebuilding purgatory and more than that, they’ll regret not taking a flier on Shough.

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