After 11 NFL seasons, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement. Carr has been dealing with a shoulder injury throughout this offseason, and rather than getting surgery and missing the entire 2025 season, Carr chose to call it a career.

The Saints took Shough as the third quarterback off the board in the 2025 NFL draft, behind only No. 1 pick Cam Ward by the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants first-round pick Jaxson Dart. The Saints were in need of a quarterback with the uncertainty surrounding Carr's health.

Shough was rated as the No. 113 overall player and the No. 7 quarterback in the draft class by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. The Saints were much higher on Shough as they made him the third quarterback off the board at No. 40 overall.