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On Wednesday, July 29, the New Orleans Saints will officially begin 2026 training camp. There have been several new offseason additions to the roster as the Saints look to build off their strong finish to 2025. The most important position, as is usually the case, is at quarterback. Tyler Shough took over as the starter around mid-season and showed why the Saints targeted him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Surrounded by plenty of new weapons, Shough must now build off his promising rookie campaign. Our Saints training camp previews begin with arguably the most important position in sports.
- On the roster: Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, Zach Wilson, Hunter Dekkers
- Offseason losses: Jake Haener
- Offseason additions: Zach Wilson
Despite several unsubstantiated rumors that Rattler could be traded this offseason, there was never much doubt that he'd be back as the favorite to back up Shough. He won't be handed the job without a battle. The Saints signed Zach Wilson this offseason to provide some competition for the backup spot. Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of BYU, has been a major draft bust so far. However, this could be an opportunity to turn around his career with a good preseason showing. Hunter Dekkers is a darkhorse after spending 2025 on the New Orleans and seeing some action with the UFL Houston Gamblers this spring.
Any success the Saints will have in 2026 almost certainly depends on the development of Shough. Over the first eight starts with Rattler in 2025, the Saints averaged a paltry 13.9 points, 289 total yards, and 198.3 passing yards per game with 5.9 per attempt. With Shough as starter in nine outings, New Orleans averaged 19.8 points, 343 total yards, and 265 passing yards with 7.3 per attempt. Those numbers speak for themselves, but also consider that Shough didn't have a running game to speak of and because of a receiving corps decimated by injuries was throwing to largely practice squad players and free agent journeymen signed off the street in desperation.
Tyler Shough has flashed the abilities of a legitimate franchise quarterback. As a result, New Orleans surrounded their signal caller with new weapons at receiver and running back. It's now up to Shough to take the next step in his development to lift the Saints into a contender.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints 2026 training camp preview: Tyler Shough unquestioned at QB1
