Just to be clear, Tyler Shough is a good quarterback. The New Orleans Saints made the right choice when they selected him with the 40th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Choosing a quarterback to lead your franchise is not, contrary to popular opinion, a slam dunk. Even the best have a learning curve. Peyton Manning, in his rookie season, led the league in interceptions. But as good as Shough has been this season, Jaxson Dart has been better.
This is not a subjective opinion; it's an objective analysis. In virtually every metric that matters, Dart is the better quarterback. Below is a comparison of both players stats.
While Shough has a slightly higher completion percentage and a few more passing yards, Dart has more overall yards, more passing touchdowns, more total touchdowns, fewer interceptions, a higher QBR and a higher passer rating. But the biggest thing that stands out is his passer rating against elite teams. No team in the NFL had a tougher strength of schedule this season than the Giants. Dart had to play the Eagles (twice) the Chargers, the Broncos, the Bears, the Patriots and the 49ers - all teams that have a legitimate shot of going deep in the postseason - and he had a passer rating of 98.5 against them.
By comparison, the only team Shough had to face that has a legitimate shot of going deep in the postseason is the Rams, and he had a passer rating of 81.2 against them. Most of his success has come against the likes of the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and the Jets; the latter was dead last in the NFL with an opponent passer rating of 110.9.
Fans of Shough bring up his wins, passing yards per game and passing yards per attempt. Anyone who's watched even one football game knows full well that no one player determines wins and losses. It's the ultimate team sport. The Giants lost five games this season in which they led by double digits; four of those losses came in the fourth quarter. If they had any kind of defense at all, they'd have at least four more wins. Putting that squarely on Dart's shoulders is not only unfair, it's stupid.
As for passing yards per game and passing yards per attempt, the former is a direct result of the game plan implemented by the offensive coordinator; the latter can be very easily manipulated. For instance, a QB can complete 20 passes for an average of six yards per completion; then pop two for 60 yards a piece. That comes out to 10.9 yards per catch. But is that really an honest way to evaluate his talent? I hardly think so.
Dart has other accolades in his favor. He's the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to register 1,800 passing yards, 400 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns in his first nine regular-season starts. Unlike so many rookies, he doesn't wilt under pressure. Indeed, the better the competition, the better he plays. He's the perfect fit for a New York market that chews up and spits out lesser athletes. Just imagine what he could've done had Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo not been lost to season-ending injuries.
This is not about bashing Tyler Shough. As I mentioned above, he's a good quarterback. After years of searching for Drew Brees' replacement, the Saints appear to have found him. This is about acknowledging the obvious: Jaxson Dart is the better player. He deserves to win the offensive rookie of the year award.
If he doesn't, there should be an investigation.
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