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A stud at the Senior Bowl, Louisville Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough has many of the tools required of a franchise QB. But are his age and injury history something to be concerned about? He doesn’t think so and shared a bold message for the NFL teams that he is capable of starting for any team “tomorrow”.
Tyler Shough Confident Ahead of 2025 NFL Draft
At 6’5″ and 225 pounds, Shough has a strong arm capable of making throws at all levels with precision. He operates efficiently in rhythm, extends plays with his legs, and delivers pinpoint passes on the run. He also has experience running multiple offenses, handling pre-snap adjustments, and working through progressions — skills that will translate well at the next level.
However, his injury history and age (25) have led many mock drafts and analysts to project him as a late Day 2 or Day 3 pick. But Shough doesn’t pay attention to the mocks and argues that his seven years of experience in college football with three different programs not only shows his adaptability but gives him an edge over other quarterbacks in terms of maturity.
“I don’t necessarily pay attention to specific mocks, and I think my whole thing throughout this whole process is obviously my ability to talk about what we did offensively,” he said on NFL Network. “I played in five, six different offenses, and I’ve been adaptable in every single place I’ve been — competed and started.”
“I think the unknown-ness is because I have been written off just from bone breaks and some injuries. It’s unfortunate timing, but I think once you get past it, we can look at what I’ve been able to do when playing, and I think how far I can continue to grow,” Shough said.
Shough noted that the NFL teams he had meetings with had not viewed his age as a concern. He boldly claimed that he viewed his age and experience as a positive factor, allowing him to start the games right from the start.
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“I’m an older guy, but it hasn’t really come up with teams. … I think point-blank it [the age] is a positive just because I’m so much more mentally prepared to handle the things that can happen in the NFL,” Shough said.
“I’ve been a backup to Justin Herbert before; I’ve dealt with a lack of confidence and transferring to a different school. I’ve been injured, I’ve been an MVP, I’ve been booed, kind of all these things, and I’ve been able to stay true to it and grow and continue to get better.
“I think that’s the thing a lot of teams are looking for, and I think you got guys are signing new contracts or playing well into their late 30s; that’s 10-12 years from here for me, so to think that I’ve capped out at this spot is beyond me. … I think at this point, for me, I am a safety blanket. I feel like I can come in and start right now at any program and go play tomorrow.”
Shough is no doubt a mature prospect, having played seven seasons of high-level college football across three major programs: Oregon, Texas Tech, and Louisville.
Over his career, he’s started 33 games and appeared in 42, throwing for 59 touchdowns while adding 11 rushing scores. His most productive season came in 2024, his first and only year with the Louisville Cardinals, where he started 12 games, finishing with 3,195 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.
In PFSN’s latest three-round NFL Mock Draft by Justin Lewis, Shough is projected to be picked 90th overall by the Los Angeles Rams.
