Tyler Shough may have been set up to be the fall guy for the New Orleans Saints if the 2025 season goes awry.
With the connection being made between Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and his son, LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a projected top pick in the 2026 NFL draft, it may only be a matter of time before the No. 40 pick in this year’s second round is replaced with a viable long-term option.
“The connection between LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and his father, Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, will become a significant predraft storyline,” Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr wrote.
“The former NFL quarterback has a chance to coach his son as an NFL quarterback. With New Orleans hurtling toward the No. 1 pick, the father-son pairing will be subject to immense palace intrigue. It’ll be a story whether the Saints select the homegrown LSU quarterback or choose not to.”
Shough recently pointed to his experience in college, where he played for Louisville, Texas Tech, and Oregon, as a reason why things are going smoothly in OTAs thus far.
“You got brand new faces, the expectations, you got to go out there and perform and I love it,” Shough said, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “It’s really, really cool to come in and operate. I feel a lot more prepared being kind of an older rookie coming in, not being as nervous to develop those relationships, but knowing that’s my whole job is to continue to earn my role and do everything I can.”
Shough needs things to move quickly, chemistry-wise, with his teammates. He has one year to convince the team’s brass that they don’t need to get caught up in “nepotism” allegations by drafting Nussmeier. Perhaps two if the team doesn’t want to start Nussmeier right away during the fall of 2026.
Then again, opportunities created by nepotism seldom care how the non-related person’s job performance has been going.
Shough is playing to stick these next two years. Whether in NOLA or elsewhere.
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