The New Orleans Saints had a bunch of big names on their injury report on Wednesday.
Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave were both at least somewhat expected. Tyler Shough was more of a surprise.
The second-year QB didn’t miss a play during the Monday night loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but two days later, he popped onto the injury report.
It’s probably not a big deal, but it still raises the concern just a little bit.
Why is Tyler Shough on the Injury Report?
Shough is on the injury report due to a left hand injury.
He had actually been shown on Monday’s ESPN broadcast with his left hand in some kind of wrap, although it wasn’t really addressed after the game.
Turns out, it was bothering him at least a bit.
He was officially a limited participant in practice on Wednesday.
What Happened to Tyler Shough’s Hand?
Shough did speak with reporters on Wednesday, and he basically admitted that it had gotten dinged up during the game.
He said it’s “nothing different than anyone else.”
Shough added that it’s sort but not going to hold him back.
Tyler Shough said his left hand got banged up during the game but “nothing different than anyone else.” He said it’s a short week so he’s sore today but it’s not going to limit him.
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) October 7, 2026
Shough actually had appeared to hurt his right hand first on Monday night, with a painful-looking follow through that collided with an on-rushing defender.
But it was late in the game when cameras caught Shough flexing his left hand and then having it in some kind of wrap on the sideline.
Does Left Hand Matter for a QB?
The left hand is obviously less important to Shough than his throwing right hand.
It’s not nothing, though.
For one, QBs have to handle snaps from the center, and their left hand can be important in doing that comfortably.
Quarterbacks also give handoffs to a running back going right by using their left hand.
It’s possible to do a crossover handoff with the “wrong” hand, but it’s a little more awkward and risky, and certainly a lot less smooth.
Given the way quarterbacks often have their hands in the mix of large, strong, fast defenders, it’s also probably not ideal if there’s something there that Shough could then aggravate.
Overall, it seems like it’s not a bad outcome for Shough, but any injury to a starting QB is worse than no injury.
Why Saints QB Tyler Shough is on Injury Report