Tyler Shough - QB, saints Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-09 | Full transcript (primary source).
Tyler Shough, quarterback for the Saints, addressed the media during a press conference on September 9, 2026, where he discussed the team's high expectations for the upcoming season and the importance of maintaining focus amid the challenges of the NFL. The conference provided an opportunity for Shough to reflect on his career ups and downs while expressing enthusiasm for the camaraderie and competitive spirit within the team.
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Transcript
Shough: It's important to always like be your expectations outside of building and everything. But I mean when the last time you think you had this many high expectations surrounding you going into a seat. I mean, I've had a lot of ups and downs in my career towards it's hard to pinpoint that and regardless it I feel like it doesn't faze me it doesn't faze us as a team because there's gonna be so much that changes week to week and could start out, you know own four own five and we'll go back to when the playoffs could start five and oh. You know last year or and miss the playoffs on there's so many different things that can happen and so many different things in the offseason. But I have happened and I'm just really excited to come together with this group of guys I feel like this is the most fun that we've been having. I feel like that's the best part about it you know expectations are gonna change and but we have high expectations for ourselves and I think that's what we're hanging our hat on and how do we keep rallying behind that for your own internal like building off of success and like like having had things go really well at the end of last year entering it off season now entering a season. How would you try to maximize that because I know that that's probably been a little.
Shough: Yeah, I'm just excited to play football again. I feel like excited to go out there and compete run around, you know, take some hits deliver the ball, you know deliver to the guys. It's just fun to go out there and compete. That's the thing. I'm really excited for we've had a long offseason preparing. We've I feel like we really dialed in on what we're trying to be in our operation and but it's still gonna have bumps in the row, you know, we're still not perfect. I still have you haven't necessarily played a full season yet. So I think for me I have that mindset of continual growth and I think that was my mindset last year is it's trying to fix the things that I made mistakes on and then just go from there. So it's a long season, but more than anything we're ready to keep ready to fire up and ready to go.
Shough: Did you feel it was important this offseason kind of immerse yourself as a leader whether it's in the locker room community whatever I mean kind of face of the franchise so to speak?
Shough: Yeah I wanted to do everything I could to make sure that my teammates do I had their back and I was gonna do anything I could to go out there and perform and that showed with you know me staying here in New Orleans and working out every single day and making sure I was ready to go come OTA is come training camp and it also just being more vocal and being around her. But I wanted to learn you know, I said before one to be in New Orleans I want to learn more about the city and and I've just come to really enjoy and love it here and then also come to really, you know know and embrace the whole team and my teammates and you know it's an honor to obviously be named captain by them and I think that's there's another piece in the puzzle of what you know, we're building and and you know I know for my job and and my continual growth you know, I'm gonna keep doing everything I can in that aspect of leadership without being a team captain.
Shough: It's I mean it means it means probably the the most in probably the biggest thing I feel like I'm accomplishing my career as far as just getting to know my teammates and in the NFL is such a hard business because there's so much fluidity college you're kind of growing up with a lot of the same buddies a quarterback position it's like, you know your name captain kind of automatically but for me I felt like with this business and the amount of guys that come in and out you have to be really intentional about getting to know all your teammates and and operating and it means a lot, but I also know that there's more more work to be done and more I got to do to to keep earning it.
Shough: I love it. I think it's a great. It's a great challenge for us. It's a great challenge for us to get in and out of the huddle operation wise it's a good challenge for us as a team, you know, we're off the bat against a playoff team with you know, probably the highest caliber players all across the board. We're gonna be ready to go and I think it's gonna be really fun for us to go out there and have some fun and operate.
Shough: What does this potentially gain out of it back into this offense? Potentially getting out of it back this week?
Shough: Yeah, it's huge. It's huge. I mean he's like he shows up to practice today. I'm like, oh it looks like nothing happened it hasn't missed a step and it's gonna be big for us just because it brings so much variety to our offense. It brings up so many different elements. So, you know having him and tribe back there it's really dangerous. So just gotta do it. Do my job. Keep delivering him the ball. Keep feeding those guys and we'll see what happens.
Shough: You gotta get a sense of the excitement of the fan base even more than kind of how the season ended. What have you been hearing and what do you tell the fans at this point that are super excited to see whatever this is?
Shough: I think more than anything and I've said before is you I want I want the fans and everybody to feel our place to all feel the culture of how we operate, you know what we're kind of do offensively as a team I feel like we're so tight knit. You know you see the locker not everybody can kind of feel the energy at practice every single day and it's a lot of fun. That's my job. And my goal is to make sure that doesn't dwindle you know week 15 or week 9 whenever you know, things are long or you know, I have a tough week ahead. So I think more than anything let's keep that same level or energy and let's keep that same growth mindset the whole year and it's gonna start you know this week.
Shough: Tell and collaborate on the game plan this week. Do you feel like the versus how it was when you were you had those starts in the second half of the year? Do you feel like maybe Kelly's giving you a little bit more road? Let me you know kind of be more vocal and what do you want to do? Do you feel like there's a I guess more of a comfort ability between you two at this point than it was last year?
Shough: Yeah, we've definitely been communicating at a high level. I would say just this whole offseason putting together ideas for different footworks different film different, you know kind of play installs and stuff like that. And then now when you get into a game week of preparation it's it's kind of right back to where you're started and and it's been a lot of fun to just continue learning from him and I think that's part of the process and it's also my job to run what they call and do my job in that aspect but they have been able to give me some more freedom and invoice some things that I like or or maybe some of the other guys like as well as far as receivers tight ends running backs what they are comfortable with on certain routes.
Shough: So Kevin's probably the best in the business when it comes to that when you know putting the guys in the right position to go out there and make a play.
Shough: Tell everyone it's like all placement throwing to certain spots concern looser and very appropriate offenders lined up is that like does that feel thing in the moment? It's that learn thing? You kind of have to go through let's build up a time practice?
Shough: Yeah, it's it's definitely it's definitely a skill you have to practice. The intentionality of ball placement versus certain leverages certain coverage and obviously there's easier said than done in some ways and some guys have a really good feel for it and I feel like for me I feel like I've had decent ball placement but I've also felt like I've had really bad ball split placement in certain certain coverages. So that's an everyday thing. It's like how can you be perfect on that? And I always kind of put down little pluses or minuses there because sometimes it may be a completion but may not be in the right spot where sometimes they might be in completion, but it was in a good spot so you kind of have to just keep the same mindset and go from there. But it's obviously a crucial part of my job and at least the success of the offense.
Shough: Like pluses and minuses I'm going back and watching cone. Yeah, I'll be like beefy plus BP minus just whether it was even if it's completion or not. Sometimes I'm as usual. There's like a famous Tom Brady clip like it's rarely ever the throw that you want and at least for quarterback you're trying to make sure it's exactly how you want it and that's why we stay after practice and try and get that same feel that you are gonna feel in game day.
Shough: Yeah, it's just super collaborative super collaborative depends on the depends on the down the distance the yard line where we're out in the field what's our route it is? It's you know, that's the whole name of the game you know if we're trying to protect them over the middle or we're trying to maybe lead and lead them outside you know up and away on the goal line that's kind of the fun part of the game is trying to be super detailed in that aspect.
Shough: Detroit like what sticks out to you the most about about their defense based on watching the film?
Shough: 97 6 out for sure. He's obviously I'm an elite level player and have to have a good plan for him and and their linebackers are really really good. You got Devin white coming on to the team and and and they got in the middle of Jack Campbell. He's awesome. He's a really really physical player and and say everything with their barn so I'm gonna be ready for those guys and we want to master physicality match the intensity and and go out there and attack.
Shough: The last portions of practice. We got to see the two weeks of doing practice the last week of practice with Elaine visit stuff like that. It seemed like you and the authors really found a rhythm I know it changes a lot when it's the real thing in week one but did everything kind of coalesce at the end of camp the way you you hope can I expected it was?
Shough: Yeah, it's it's always a funny narrative and it's a funny because it's I feel like at the end of camp is when we start playing football you know, it's the beginning campus a lot installs and you may have a screen day today we may have a an outbreak or day or they're having a cover zero day and it's just like it's not always the perfect look and that's always fun because you get to train what might happen in a game and then once we get rolling in scrimmages and towards the end you start playing call-up periods and I always love that because now, you know, it's not necessarily scripted and you can operate that way. So it starts getting you towards game like mentality and that's what we've been doing this whole practice this whole week.
Shough: Were you able to notice? In those weeks to call it weeks and stuff like everything you hoped you would from having an entire offseason?
Shough: Yeah, I feel like I feel like every every day every week I feel like I got a little bit better at something I was trying to work on and I'm gonna set up here every single week and I'm gonna have to work on something and say the same thing so it's that's the best part about it, but I feel like over time over camp felt really really good and we want to continue that and that's that's our whole goal.
Shough: We're going into week one in a hostile environment. How can we not have any negative plays? Can't have any penalties that's gonna be I think it's all the game and if we're clean there it should be a clean operation.
Shough: Yeah, for sure I feel like I go out there and compete I feel like game day you know intense practices what it would join whatever the case may be I feel like there's a different um sense of energy for me, but I think that's the same thing every single day whenever we're doing in the year I'm I'm trying to increase that level every single day, but I think more than anything it's just it's actual football. It's from a like a huddle perspective from going out there moving the ball you get a feel for certain things, but that's that's part of the game and and I think as an offense we've hit a really good stride and we got to continue to keep going.
Shough: Playing in any preseason games. What were you able to take from watching and communicating and all the mental aspects of those?
Shough: Yeah, I feel like we've taken a lot from it just from the aspect of negative plays I haven't you know having ball security when it comes in the pocket obviously out in space for some of our skill position guys and then just having those chunk plays and taking advantage of them and more than anything it's just the operation we got to do that pre, you know game day from a rep perspective preseason is always interesting, you know going out for potentially a drive or two or whatnot but I think we did a really good job when it came to joint practice getting 70 80 plays and going out there and operating versus a new look new new defense every single time so we feel really prepared to go now and and now it's now it's just go let it rip.
Shough: You have a couple murky wide receivers that are coming kind of be thrown into the fire and wing one. Do you put that on yourself to spend a little extra time and make sure they're ready. He's got the trust that?
Shough: Yeah, it's a little bit of both I'm gonna do everything I can to help those guys prepare it and you know as the whole offense you know, we're gonna do everything we can from that aspect from signaling perspective from the huddle mechanics from you know knowing their job and how can we be detailed from that aspect? But also they've done an incredible job themselves preparing and being ready to go and having juice I feel you felt it every single time, you know, both Bryce and Barry on have stepped up to the call. So I kind of I'm gonna let them be them and but at the same time if we're always having dialogue because you know, we haven't gotten a bunch of reps but you know as a way I feel like we've done a really good job of connecting and I'm really proud of the way they worked and it's gonna be a great season for them.
Shough: From your last start to now I mean, you know having a whole offseason and as the guy being able to grow as your teammates and just mature in the NFL do you think you've grown personally as a player from your last start to now this week one and done and how much more comfortable are you?
Shough: Yeah, I feel like I feel like it's nine day for me from a comfortability perspective from a leadership perspective just the operation and I used to care a lot about the end result of maybe a play or the end result of a game and that still matters. But like I said before throughout this process is this offseason process is caring more about how did how did we get there? What was the energy like what was you know, what was our intention behind it? And because it's gonna be ups and downs in the season so we got to maintain that same mindset and that's why I love it. So I'm really excited to be back because I feel like this has been a long time coming and you watch the film from last year, it's like man. We got so much more to go. We got so much more to grow from and that's the fun part.
Shough: How much do you guys embrace it's gonna be back-to-back weeks on the road? Is the way to gauge how good you are just to go into two very hostile environments against two very good teams?
Shough: Yeah, it's gonna be a great challenge and obviously starting off with Detroit we're gonna we're gonna be ready to go and I think we I think we are I think we're gonna have a great week of practice we have thus far and and we got a match match that intensity and it's gonna be fun you know, I think it's first time for a lot of the guys but it's the previous stop for some of our coaching staffs and they've said they've had you know shown their own respect for it and we're gonna be ready to go. I'm gonna make sure of that and I think that's the whole season. It's gonna be a great challenge.
Shough: What is the captain's dinner like what's the environment like and how do the coaches actually tell you off who's gonna be a captain this year?
Shough: Yeah it was at Tana and it's really just a great environment. We're all kind of sitting sitting amongst each other it's kind of position-based but we'll all kind of mingle and then we just break bread have it dinner and then kind of towards the end before desserts come out. We'll kind of come up and announce the captains and then one by one we'll give kind of just a little couple words or a speech and really just about how much it means to us and and kind of our words for the season and it's a really cool moment just to kind of hear from everybody and then obviously yourself getting to to share just how much everybody means to me as you know as teammates and it's it's obviously one of the cool things I felt like we do and and I think more than anything it's it kind of shapes our vision for the season.
Shough: I don't I don't know. They just write down two other. I'm sure some guys who did but I wrote down I'm not gonna tell you I write down but we write down some other names he Kellen actually didn't have his vote for like defense or special teams if you're on offense and I thought that was that was cool because a lot of times you're working with your guys every single day, but was really proud of everybody who was named captain I think all deserving and it shows just from their work in the offseason and and they you know hi everybody stepped up as a leader.
Shough: To be the captain, you know this this quickly obviously your lockers right next is that just telling of the impact he's had?
Shough: 100% he's he's one of the most steady guys. I've been around he knows what it looks like when it comes to high-level play success just the energy and the culture of a locker room and that's kind of the biggest thing I've learned from him is let's let's not freak out about you know, what's happening in this moment how is this going to look and how can we keep building in that way because he's he's been a part of you know some Rams teams where they maybe started off you know three and seven or some five and seven and then you kind of climb back and make the playoffs he's been a part of some really good bills teams and and it's gonna look a lot you know, it's gonna get done in a lot of different ways and he understands that and he's been a really good voice for all of us and and the energy he brings our practice to it's been good. So I think that's the exciting part for having him up front and Eric doing a really good job and Eric's done a great job of just coming up there being himself and operating and his physicality is showing up.
Shough: No, I try I try and put a lot of intention behind it and think about it definitely. I'm not Damario or drew just probably I don't know he probably just wakes up and has like a vision from God I think tomorrow and just like it's just the greatest thing ever so it's very intimidating trying to follow that but I try and think about it because it matters to me I'm on I want to make sure that we're ready to go and that the message is clear about, you know, however, we're feeling the week of practice we had who were playing what we need at that moment. So it all matters and I want to be myself in that aspect so I'm going to continue to continue to try and get better that way too and and we'll see we'll see how we do.
Shough: Receiver group going back to them. Is it fair to say beyond Chris that it's really hard to know who's going to contribute how much and that that's just gonna be an evolving thing and you're gonna have to get a feel for it as the air goes on?
Shough: I think everybody's gonna have a hand and I think everybody's gonna be involved I think that's the best part about having those dynamic players like you got four three speed and Bryce and Barry on and and Joanna's you can't cover him one-on-one and at any position Noah he's he's up for four. I mean he's unbelievable his physicality. He's extremely hard to cover you got Oscar as well and then you got Trav in a case. So I think being able to distribute to all those guys put them in different positions it's gonna be really fun to see and I think all those guys are gonna have a big role.
Shough: No, I think it's just there whether it wasn't like a pole or wasn't anything. It was it was just kind of I feel like earned over time. It wasn't necessarily going to do that in January, but you know, it didn't happen just overnight, you know, I feel like every single day I understood that there was gonna be that aspect of it but I wanted to do everything I could this entire offseason to earn that and to have that message and we also have a somebody before before we go out in the locker room talk as well. So there's there's a couple different opportunities and Kellen does a good job of understanding that, you know, he's not gonna scream and cuss and try and be somebody who he's not but he's also gonna let us as players be leaders and send a message.
