Saints Rookie Tyler Shough Reveals Drew Brees Mentorship Secrets Behind Successful Season: 'He's Awesome'

San Francisco—While the NFL world descended on the Bay Area for Super Bowl LX festivities, New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough paused to reflect on the quiet force guiding his rapid rise: Hall of Fame-bound passer Drew Brees.

Speaking with Fox News Digital inside the Panini Prizm VIP Lounge, the rookie described how Brees’ daily-process philosophy steadied him through a season that began on the bench and ended with the front office penciling him in as the franchise’s future.

“He’s awesome,” Shough said, moments after ripping packs of his own rookie cards. “He’s an incredible mentor because of just who he is on and off the field. He’s the pinnacle of being a quarterback in my opinion. He was big for me.”

Shough, the Saints’ second-round pick out of Louisville, opened 2025 behind Spencer Rattler but never stopped preparing as if the job were his. Weekly conversations with Brees—who was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 during Thursday night’s NFL Honors—centered on one theme: attack every day identically, no matter the role or result.

“I got to talk to him during the season when I was still backup about his process and, ‘How do you attack each day?’” Shough recalled. “It really helped me when I got my opportunity of just going out there, not making anything different and just attacking.”

The payoff arrived in December. Inserted as starter for the final nine games, Shough posted a 5-4 record and engineered a four-game win streak that vaulted the Saints back into postseason contention. The stretch convinced first-year head coach Kellen Moore and the club’s brass that the 23-year-old could steward the offense long-term.

Shough credits Brees’ even-keel approach for keeping the moment from ever feeling “too big.”

“For me, it was you have to treat each day and each week with your process the same, regardless of who you’re playing, the outcome, what your role is,” he said. “That way, whenever you’re out there, the moment doesn’t feel too big. I feel like that really resonated with me.”

Complacency, Shough insists, is the enemy. “Tom Brady at a certain point had to leave to another team,” he noted, underscoring the league’s merciless nature. Cementing himself as New Orleans’ long-term answer under center means continuing to lean on Brees’ roadmap.

“Obviously, full circle now, I just saw him this morning after he got the Hall of Fame induction and we got to talk,” Shough said. “He’s been big, and hopefully we can continue to grow that relationship. Just what an unbelievable example of greatness.”

Away from the playbook, Shough relished a rare chance to act like a fan again. An avid collector since childhood, he pulled his own limited-edition Saints card—complete with a game-used patch—on just his second pack, sending the lounge into a frenzy.

“It was kind of a dream come true to see myself on my first NFL Panini card,” he said. “It’s awesome being here and hanging out with everybody.”

With Brees’ voice in his headset and his own rookie cards now in circulation, Shough heads into the offseason armed with both wisdom and momentum—determined to turn a promising debut into the next era of Saints football.