Canal Street Chronicles
The Saints and Tyler Shough agreed to terms on a fully guaranteed contract before the start of camp.
This past week, the New Orleans Saints finally agreed to terms on a fully guaranteed contract for rookie quarterback, Tyler Shough. This is big news because training camp starts on Wednesday, and without a contract, there was no guarantee he’d show up.
Second round picks typically take the longest to sign because of debates about their guaranteed money, and this year it was even worse because the Texans gave Jayden Higgins a fully guaranteed deal. This led to pretty much all of the second rounders asking for fully guaranteed contracts, which are usually reserved for first rounders.
It took months for Shough’s contract to get worked out, but they finally made it happen last week. He signed a 10.795-million dollar, fully guaranteed deal with the Saints, which also includes a roster bonus each year he’s on the roster for the first day of training camp.
Despite not having a deal done for months, Shough was a model teammate since he was selected back in April. He’s done everything right so far. He’s embraced the city and the fans and has taken part in multiple voluntary workouts during the summer with his teammates.
Knowing that he’s firmly in the battle for the QB1 position, he may have shown up to training camp without a deal done, but either way, he’s fully expected to be there on Wednesday.
Having Shough at training camp is a massive deal, both for him and the team. He and Spencer Rattler are going to be in an intense battle for the QB1 spot, and every rep is going to be crucial for both guys. Not only will Shough get a chance to show the Saints what he’s got, but the Saints will get an even clearer picture of the QB competition with him there for the entirety of camp.
This will also give Shough time to build a rapport with the rest of the offense. As I mentioned earlier, he’s worked out with his receivers a few times, but this will be the time for him to mesh with the offensive line and the running back room. He’ll get to learn how the line likes to operate, and he’ll start to get a feel for how Alvin Kamara and Co. work out of the backfield.
There are still a few second-round picks who remain unsigned and could end up holding out for the start of camp. Shough was on that list, but he and a slew of other second rounders got their contracts done just in time.
Now, he and Rattler will partake in a huge QB1 battle, which we haven’t seen in New Orleans in a while. It should be fun, so get your popcorn ready.
