The New Orleans Saints haven’t had to turn to their backup quarterback yet this season.
But their starting QB, Tyler Shough, is clearly not 100%. He’s playing through injury.
It hasn’t gotten better on Sunday in Week 7, either. The Saints are taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris. Shough is getting even more beat up than he was entering the day.
What’s Wrong With Tyler Shough?
Shough already had an injury entering Sunday’s game. He’s playing through a couple of broken bones in his left hand.
That’s been a multi-week injury at this point for Shough, who is wearing some added padding on that left hand.
Shough has also done some handoffs that would normally happen with his left hand instead with his right hand, which can be awkward and tricky.
It appears that Shough hurt his right hand on Sunday, too.
On a play when T.J. Watt sacked Shough, he came up flexing his right hand, and he kept doing that flexing motion. It didn’t seem to stop the throwing ability of Shough, who was letting the ball rip all over the field.
Shough also attempted multiple runs, so he didn’t seem too bothered by the right hand problem, even if it wasn’t perfect.
He had actually hurt his right hand earlier this season, too, in the same game his left hand was hurt. That initial right hand injury came when Shough hit his right hand on a follow-through into a defender, one of the toughest spots for a quarterback to be in.
Shough had a ton of injury history in college, so any pain in the NFL is something that will have to concern the Saints.
For now, though, Shough is still on the field.
From ESPN Research: With 11:13 left in the 2nd qtr, Tyler Shough was sacked and had his throwing hand looked at by a trainer.
Prior to the sack, he was averaging 10.4 air yds/att. Since the sack, he is at 1.5 air yds/att and his most air yds on a throw since Watt sack is 4 yds
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) October 25, 2026
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Who is the Saints’ Backup QB?
The Saints’ backup quarterback is Spencer Rattler.
Rattler has starting experience in the NFL and was at one time viewed as a high-profile college football quarterback before the end of his NCAA career hurt his stock a bit.
Ironically, Rattler is exactly a year younger than Shough despite being drafted a year earlier than Shough.
The Saints’ decision to draft Shough in the 2025 second round showed they didn’t see Rattler as their QB of the future. He likely won’t see the field this year unless one of Shough’s injuries proves to be worse and has to force him out of action for a stretch.
What’s Wrong With Tyler Shough? Saints QB Playing Through Injury