The New Orleans Saints found a decent, young quarterback in Tyler Shough. However, there are rare opportunities to find franchise quarterbacks in trades. If the Cincinnati Bengals fail to perform this season, they may dangle Joe Burrow in trade conversations to rebuild the roster.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton mentions the New Orleans Saints as a possible Burrow destination. It would be a reunion between Burrow and Louisiana sports fans. He led the LSU Tigers to a national championship in 2019.
Moton says, “If Shough regresses or struggles with injuries as he did through his collegiate years, New Orleans could be open to acquiring a proven franchise quarterback.”
Despite the solid play from Shough, he is hardly a great bet to become a franchise QB given his draft pedigree and metrics. Shough’s expected points added per drop back was +0.01, tied with Tua Tagovailoa and Jacoby Brissett. To be fair, that is a very respectable rookie season for a quarterback, but it does not display much upside.
The Saints Could Be Built to Acquire A Franchise QB
GettyKellen Moore could be the head coach that truly unlocks Burrow.
The Saints may not be as far away as people assume from becoming a contending team. Especially with a proven play caller in Kellen Moore, the Saints have the pieces to bring the best out of Burrow.
Moton agrees: “Head coach Kellen Moore is a former quarterback who’s built a solid reputation as a play-caller, fielding top-seven scoring offenses with the Dallas Cowboys and the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.”
The Saints have also built a strong offensive line, which Burrow has not had with the Bengals. They drafted two tackles recently in Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr., both of whom have received positive grades. PFF ranks Fuaga 49th out of 84 eligible tackles while Banks Jr. ranked 27th out of 84.
The Saints also have a great center in Erik McCoy, who has been a consistent factor when healthy. He ranks 15th out of 37 centers on PFF. This offseason, Saints brought in David Edwards, who signed a four year $61 million contract with $45 million guaranteed. Edwards ranked 22nd out of 79 eligible guards.
Outside of a good offensive line and a proven wide receiver in Chris Olave, the Saints need to continue to fill out their defense and strengthen their playmaking group. Signing Travis Etienne was a great move to boost the offense, but they need more on the perimeter besides Olave. They traded away Rasheed Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks.
2026 Saints Season Will Determine Position in Burrow Sweepstakes
GettyDespite the strong rookie season, 2026 is a make or break year for Tyler Shough.
If Shough fails to show anything more in 2026, the Saints may look at Burrow to launch them back into contention. The Saints like to make aggressive moves, similar to when they signed Drew Brees from the Chargers. Trading multiple future picks and Shough himself to the Bengals could be enough to convince them. Not to mention, Louisiana sports fans dream reunite with the former LSU star who brought them a national title.
New Orleans Saints are a Potential Joe Burrow Landing Spot