There was a painter on the sideline during Monday Night Football composing a scene, and it included New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough.
ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman wrote that it’d only be complete if Shough had an Atlanta Falcons defender in his face.
It was that kind of night for the second-year QB, who seemed to always have a Falcons player bearing down on him.
He took big hits and was frequently on the ground, making it tough for the Saints’ offense to get anything going in a brutal defeat at the hands of their NFC South Division foe.
It also meant that Shough seemed physically beaten up by the end of the game. At different points, he seemed to be hurt on both hands.
Tyler Shough Injury Update
Shough never missed a play, and there also weren’t any concerning comments after the game, so this all might be nothing.
But it’s worth monitoring the fact that Shough first seemed to hurt his throwing hand, then seemed to be getting treatment on his non-throwing hand later in the game.
Shough’s right hand released a football midway through the game and then hit a defender — it’s a classically uncomfortable spot for a QB, but Shough apparently avoided disaster:
Tyler Shough –
Gets hit on his throwing hand.
Shaking his hand out but didn’t look like trainers worked on him. Hopefully he’ll be fine. https://t.co/z5dotLlZSN— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 6, 2026
Later on, the ESPN broadcast showed Shough with some kind of treatment on his left hand while he sat on the sideline. It wasn’t clear when he might’ve hurt that hand.
Tyler Shough Has A Hand Injury, He Was Holding It And Getting It Worked On The Sideline.
Not Ideal For The Saints. 😬 https://t.co/cvNPki0kpJ
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 6, 2026
The left hand wouldn’t get hurt on a follow through, but could instead have been damaged at some point when Shough was hit or going to the ground. It’s not as crucial as his throwing hand, but it does affect handoffs as well as receiving snaps.
Shough may have avoided anything terrible here, but it’s also not ideal for a QB’s hands to take any kind of beating at all.
Why This Happened
Shough was under fire all game in large part because the Saints could hardly run the ball. It’s been a struggle for them on the ground all season, but with Travis Etienne out injured, it got even worse.
With no running game to keep the Falcons honest, they could just pin their ears back and rush straight at Shough.
For New Orleans to right the ship going forward, the Saints will have to figure out how to run the football. A balanced offense gives Shough a much better chance to succeed this season.
Saints’ Tyler Shough Injury Flies Under Radar