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There is plenty of excitement surrounding the New Orleans Saints entering the 2026 season, and much of it centers on a youth movement led by quarterback Tyler Shough.

That movement took another step this week when Shough was named one of nine Saints team captains, further cementing his place as one of the leaders of a roster that still features a strong veteran presence.

Being named a captain carries particular significance for Shough, who is entering only his second NFL season and his first as the Saints' unquestioned starting quarterback.

“It means probably the most and probably the biggest thing I feel like I've accomplished in my career as far as just getting to know my teammates,” Shough said. “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. The quarterback position, it's like you're named 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 of your teammates and operating.”

Shough may be one of the older members of the Saints’ young core — he will turn 27 on Sept. 28 — but his emergence as a leader began well before he received the captain designation.

The Saints were 1-7 before Shough took over as the starting quarterback during his rookie season. New Orleans went 5-6 the rest of the way, including victories in four of its final five games.

His numbers were modest — a 67.6% completion rate for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in 10 games — but his impact went beyond the stat sheet. The Saints responded to Shough under center, and their strong finish provided momentum heading into his second season.

Shough's Growth Continues Entering Year Two

Shough has spent the past eight months building on that stretch, developing his rapport with teammates while working with coach Kellen Moore and the rest of the coaching staff to tailor portions of the offense to his strengths.

That progress became increasingly evident late in training camp. Shough and the Saints' offense showed signs of growth during joint practices against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams before carrying that momentum into the team's final practices ahead of the regular season.

Now comes the real test.

The Saints open the season Sunday against the Detroit Lions on the road, giving Shough his first opportunity to show how far he and the offense have come since last season's late surge.

“I feel like we've really dialed in on what we're trying to be in our operation. But it's still gonna have bumps in the road. You know, we're still not perfect. I still haven't necessarily played a full season yet,” Shough said. “So I think for me, I have that mindset of continual growth, and I think that was my mindset last year: 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 fire up and ready to go.”

Shough Embraces Challenge of Season Opener in Detroit

Shough's first test of the season will come in one of the NFL's more challenging road environments.

Ford Field's enclosed environment can amplify crowd noise and make communication difficult for visiting offenses, presenting some of the same challenges opponents face inside the Caesars Superdome. Rather than shy away from that environment, Shough is embracing it.

“I love it. I think it's a great challenge for us,” Shough said. “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, right off the bat against a playoff team with probably the highest caliber players all across the board.”

The environment is only part of the challenge.

Detroit's defense features several players capable of disrupting the Saints' offense, beginning with edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Shough also singled out a linebacker group featuring Devin White, Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes.

“97 (Aidan Hutchinson) sticks out for sure," Shough told us. "He's obviously an elite-level player, and have to have a good plan for him. And their linebackers are really, really good.

“You got Devin White coming onto the team, and the guy in the middle, Jack Campbell, he's awesome. He's a really physical player, and same thing with Derrick Barnes. So we got to be ready for those guys, and we want to match their physicality, match the intensity and go out there and attack.

“So we're going to be ready to go, and I think it's going to be really fun for us to go out there and have some fun and operate.”

Saints Carry Higher Expectations Into 2026

That strong finish last season, combined with the Saints' offseason additions and Shough's continued development, has raised expectations around New Orleans.

But after navigating plenty of uncertainty throughout his football career, Shough isn't putting much stock into outside projections before the season begins.

“I mean, I've had a lot of ups and downs in my career, so it's hard to pinpoint (when expectations have been this high). And regardless, 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,” Shough said, suggesting the Saints could start 0-5 and still make the playoffs or start 5-0 and miss them.

Instead, Shough believes the Saints' own expectations — and the chemistry developing inside the locker room — matter more than anything being said outside it.

“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,” Shough said. “You know, expectations are gonna change, but we have high expectations for ourselves, and I think that's what we're hanging our hat on and how we keep rallying behind that.”

Those expectations will follow the Saints into Ford Field on Sunday.

For Shough, the opportunity represents more than the beginning of his second NFL season. It is his first chance to lead the Saints into a season as their unquestioned starting quarterback, now with a captain's patch serving as another reminder of how much has changed since he first stepped into the huddle as a rookie.

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