Saints Linked To Aaron Rodgers After Shocking Shedeur Sanders Snub

The New Orleans Saints came into the NFL Draft with a desperate need for quarterback. But at pick No. 9, they passed on Shedeur Sanders and selected offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. While Banks is a good piece of the team and a solid pick, the Saints still have no quarterback.

Where will the Saints turn at quarterback?

Billy Heyen of Sporting News recently suggested the Saints could still be a candidate to sign veteran free agent Aaron Rodgers.

"Aaron Rodgers remains a free agent. For some reason, he hasn't reached an agreement with the Steelers yet," Heyen wrote. "Could he be hoping for a different option? At least as of Thursday night, Rodgers was still in play for the Saints. New Orleans hasn't demonstrated a giant interest in Rodgers.

"New Orleans hasn't demonstrated a giant interest in Rodgers. But he could have some things to like with the Saints. They've got Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, and an offensive-minded head coach in Kellen Moore. Rodgers, 41, won't be around long. The Saints could still target an heir at QB later in the 2025 draft on either Friday or Saturday. Just don't count out anything with Rodgers. He might retire. He might sign with the Steelers. Or he could even choose a journey down to New Orleans to play for the Saints."

Signing Rodgers has always felt out of reach for the Saints and it still feels that way. While there's not a zero percent chance of landing him, the fans shouldn't hold out too much hope.

New Orleans will likely take a quarterback down the board, potentially grabbing Jalen Milroe or Tyler Shough in the second or third round. It's quite unlikely they sign Rodgers.

New Orleans Adding 'Special' Derek Carr Replacement

There's been a lot of chatter about who the New Orleans Saints could add at quarterback this offseason and they just got their guy.

New Orleans has been one of the most talked-about teams in football as the National Football League Draft has approached. There already was rumblings about the possibility of the Saints adding a quarterback. It only got amplified once it was announced that Derek Carr was dealing with a shoulder injury.

The Saints didn't use their first-round pick to add a quarterback, but did strike with the No. 40 overall pick in the second round by selecting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough, as shared by FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

"Tyler Shough to the Saints," Schultz said. "Tyler Shough is a bona fide 6-5, 220. His arm talent, slots, toughness are all special. Saints have been huge fans of his for quite some time."

Shough is a talented player coming off the best season of his college career. He racked up 3,195 passing yards in 2024 to go along with 23 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions. One thing that is unique -- and somewhat odd -- about Shough is the fact that he played seven years in college for three different teams. He dealt with some injuries but clearly was healthy in 2024 and was great.

New Orleans must like him as he is the first quarterback taken by the Saints in the first or second round of the NFL Draft since Archie Manning in 1971, as shared by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"The Saints selecting Tyler Shough at No. 40 breaks a streak that dates back to 1971, which was the last time they used a first- or second-round pick on a quarterback, when they drafted Archie Manning," Schefter said.