The New Orleans Saints watched Tyler Shough develop into their starting quarterback throughout his rookie season. Now, he'll have a new running back to work with.
The Saints are signing former Jacksonville Jaguars standout Travis Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract in free agency. Once the deal was reported, Shough took to social media to show off his excitement.
“WHO DAT let's work,” Shough posted on X, formerly Twitter.
WHO DAT let’s work! 🖤⚜️ https://t.co/bN09SnkGfw
— Tyler Shough (@tylershough2) March 9, 2026
New Orleans offense at large is still a work in progress. The Saints are still building out both their wide receiver and offensive line rooms. Alvin Kamara's future is now in question and Shough must still prove himself over a full season. But in giving Etienne the contract they did, New Orleans believes he could be a crucial piece in helping the Saints find their new offensive identity.
Over his four years with the Jaguars, Etienne ran for 3,798 yards and 25 touchdowns while catching 168 passes for 1,338 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a career-high six receiving touchdowns in 2025, alongside 26 catches for 292 yards. Etienne ran for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns.
Shough is excited for the signing for a number of reasons. First off, he want the Saints to win. But the quarterback is tracking to lock in New Orleans' starting role full-time. As a rookie, he went 5-4 as a starter, completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. Proving he can succeed as starter over a full 17 game season will leave no doubts about his role moving forward.
Shough is hopeful that having a player like Etienne gets him closer to that goal. He has been a strong pass catcher throughout his NFL tenure. Furthermore, his addition makes the offense overall more dynamic.
Shough will have to see how the rest of the Saints offense shapes up during the offseason. But he's over the moon about New Orleans' Etienne addition.
