Saints rookie Tyler Shough reveals Drew Brees mentorship secrets behind successful season: 'He's awesome'

As New Orleans Saints backmost Tyler Shough sat successful the star-studded NFL Honors assemblage this past Thursday nighttime successful San Francisco, helium watched arsenic 1 of his team's legends was announced arsenic 1 of the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

And idiosyncratic who is already making a large interaction connected his NFL career. 

Drew Brees, who is 2nd all-time successful passing yards successful NFL history, was a fastener arsenic a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and it was confirmed past week earlier Super Bowl LX arsenic helium was the last subordinate of the Class of 2026 to beryllium called retired connected stage. 

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New Orleans Saints backmost Tyler Shough (6) runs for a summation during the 3rd 4th against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers astatine Raymond James Stadium connected Dec. 7, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

Brees is an NFL legend, but helium is royalty wherever Shough is present trying to cement himself arsenic the franchise backmost similar his predecessor did galore years ago. 

Shough spoke with Fox News Digital successful a caller interrogation portion successful San Francisco with Panini America, wherever helium touched connected Brees' interaction that has already been felt pursuing a palmy rookie campaign. 

"He’s awesome. He’s an unthinkable mentor due to the fact that of conscionable who helium is connected and disconnected the field," Shough said from the Panini Prizm VIP Lounge, wherever helium and different NFL stars ripped trading paper packs and enjoyed Super Bowl week successful the Bay Area. "He’s the pinnacle of being a backmost successful my opinion. He was large for me."

CONTROVERSIAL PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2026 REVEALED

Shough, the Saints' second-round enactment retired of Louisville, wasn't the 2025 Week 1 starter for first-year caput manager Kellen Moore, but alternatively had to beryllium down Spencer Rattler. 

That didn't deter Shough from continuing his process of preparation, which was a sticking constituent successful his conversations with Brees.

"I got to speech to him during the play erstwhile I was inactive backup astir his process and, ‘How bash you onslaught each day?’ It truly helped maine erstwhile I got my accidental of conscionable going retired there, not making thing antithetic and conscionable attacking," Shough explained.

New Orleans Saints backmost Drew Brees (9) earlier the crippled against the Tennessee Titans astatine Nissan Stadium successful Nashville, Tennessee, connected Dec. 22, 2019. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports)

Shough yet got his changeable astatine being the Saints' starter, and helium went 5-4 successful that span, which included a four-game December triumph streak that yet solidified the Saints' content helium could beryllium their franchise feline nether halfway moving forward. 

Despite the stamp of support from the beforehand bureau and Moore alike, Shough says helium volition proceed to determination guardant with the champion portion of proposal Brees gave him frankincense far. 

"For me, it was you person to dainty each time and each week with your process the same, careless of who you’re playing, the outcome, what your relation is," helium said. "That way, whenever you’re retired there, the infinitesimal doesn’t consciousness excessively big. I consciousness similar that truly resonated with me."

Shough said helium doesn't privation to ever beryllium complacent successful the NFL. After all, "Tom Brady astatine a definite constituent had to permission to different team," arsenic Shough said. But helium would evidently emotion to cement himself arsenic the close acceptable astatine backmost successful New Orleans. 

Heeding the proposal of 1 of the champion to ever bash it successful the metropolis and the league itself is simply a large mode to start. 

New Orleans Saints backmost Tyler Shough (6) throws a walk against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2nd fractional of an NFL shot crippled Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, successful New Orleans.  (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

"Obviously, afloat ellipse now, I conscionable saw him this greeting aft helium got the Hall of Fame induction and we got to talk," Shough said of Brees. "He’s been big, and hopefully we tin proceed to turn that relationship. Just what an unbelievable illustration of greatness."

RIPPING PACKS AND MORE WITH PANINI

While Shough is acceptable to mature arsenic a player, helium felt large acting similar a kid again, arsenic helium was ripping packs, signing cards and much with Panini during Super Bowl week. 

As a kid, Shough was an avid collector of trading cards, truthful helium called it a humbling acquisition seeing himself connected 1 and being capable to stock successful the excitement of fans and chap NFL players passim his archetypal Super Bowl week. 

New Orleans Saints backmost Tyler Shough explained however impactful Drew Brees has already been connected his career.  (GETTY)

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"I had a mates ones," helium said erstwhile asked immoderate of the standout cards helium pulled. "It was kinda crazy, the archetypal 2 packs I opened, the archetypal 2 cards were my Louisville 1 and the Saints 1 — it was a 1 retired of 50, and it had a spot connected it arsenic well. Everybody was going brainsick successful here, due to the fact that I hadn’t adjacent gotten my ain paper yet. I’ve been signing truthful many. 

"It was benignant of a imagination travel existent to spot myself connected my archetypal NFL Panini paper due to the fact that I was I had immoderate successful the past, but I hadn’t done it yet. It’s awesome being present and hanging retired with everybody."

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