Tyler Shough is playing through more than the New Orleans Saints have publicly disclosed. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the second-year quarterback has two broken bones in his left hand, an injury he sustained during the Saints' Oct. 5 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
The injury is to Shough's non-throwing hand, though it has still forced him to make adjustments. He used his right hand for handoffs to both sides against the Minnesota Vikings last week, a change from his usual approach to protect his injured hand. Shough also taped his ring and pinky fingers together and wore a protective glove over the bandaging; he's expected to use the same protection Sunday against the New York Giants.
Tyler Shough has been handing the ball off exclusively
with his right hand today. Something to monitor pic.twitter.com/5tqfCd2XZj
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) October 11, 2026
Despite the injury, Shough has remained a full participant in practice and hasn't missed any playing time. Schefter reported that recovery is expected to take weeks, with one source estimating "a couple of months."
The game-day report adds some context to Shough's difficult outing against Minnesota, where he threw for a career-low 96 yards with two interceptions in a 23-13 loss. It's unclear how much the injury affected his passing.
If Shough were forced to leave the game at any point, Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson are his backups. Rattler started the Saints' first eight games of the 2025 season, though New Orleans started 1-7.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Report: Saints QB Tyler Shough playing with two broken bones in hand
