New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough did not hesitate when asked about the steady voices in the team’s offensive room.
Two names came up quickly: center Erik McCoy and tight end Juwan Johnson. Then Shough went a step further on Johnson, making it clear he believes one of the Saints’ most trusted offensive players still has another level to reach.
“Juwan, man, he’s due for a huge year,” Shough said during an appearance on Green Light with Chris Long.
That is a notable endorsement from the quarterback who will be responsible for leading Kellen Moore’s offense in 2026. Johnson is already coming off the most productive season of his NFL career, catching 77 passes for 889 yards and three touchdowns in 2025.
Shough’s comments suggest the Saints may view that as more of a starting point than a ceiling.
Tyler Shough Sees Juwan Johnson as a Key Saints Leader
Shough was asked which offensive players might be more influential inside the Saints’ building than fans realize. He pointed to Johnson and McCoy as two of the stabilizers.
“I think Eric McCoy and Juwan Johnson have been kind of those steady guys,” Shough said.
The reason matters. Johnson has been through multiple coaching staffs, multiple quarterbacks and multiple versions of the Saints’ offense. For Shough, that kind of continuity is valuable. He described Johnson as one of his closest friends off the field, but also as someone who helps carry the message within the offense.
That is not just locker-room praise. For a young quarterback, a tight end who can communicate, adjust and separate is often one of the most important players on the field.
Shough made that point when he moved from Johnson’s leadership to his skill set.
“His speed, his catching ability, his ability to separate is pretty tough,” Shough said.
That is the part Saints fans should pay attention to. Johnson has already shown he can be more than a checkdown target. He averaged 11.5 yards per reception in 2025, giving the Saints a tight end who can work beyond the short areas of the field.
The question now is whether New Orleans can turn Johnson’s reliability into a bigger, more consistent weekly problem for defenses.
Saints’ Tight End Room Gives Kellen Moore More Options
Johnson is not the only reason this angle matters.
Shough also sounded excited about the Saints’ full tight end room, mentioning veteran Noah Fant and rookie Oscar Delp as part of a group that can change personnel looks. The Saints selected Delp in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and the team’s official bio described him as a 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end with receiving ability, yards-after-catch agility and blocking value.
That gives Moore a different kind of menu.
With Johnson, Fant and Delp, the Saints can use heavier personnel without necessarily becoming predictable. They can line up with multiple tight ends, force defenses into bigger packages and still spread the field. Or they can stay in those same groupings and run the ball with more physicality.
Shough seemed to understand the value immediately.
“I think that’s why you go get a guy like Oscar,” Shough said, pointing to Delp’s physical tools and comparing his ability to separate to Johnson’s. He also mentioned Fant’s former first-round pedigree and said that, with those players, it becomes “pick your poison.”
For Shough, that could be especially useful in the red zone and on third down. Tight ends who can separate against linebackers or safeties give a quarterback cleaner answers when space tightens. They also help keep an offense from becoming too dependent on wide receivers winning outside.
That matters for the Saints because the offense is not built around one type of weapon. Chris Olave remains the top receiver. Rookie Jordyn Tyson adds more speed and route flexibility. The running back room has Alvin Kamara and Travis Etienne. Johnson gives Shough a middle-of-the-field target who can connect those pieces.
Juwan Johnson’s Next Step Could Change Saints Offense
Johnson’s 2025 season was already close to a major benchmark.
He finished with 889 receiving yards, falling just short of the 1,000-yard mark that would put him in a different category statistically. Shough’s “huge year” comment came after Long noted Johnson had been near 900 yards and suggested 1,000 could be in reach.
Shough did not push back. He sounded eager for it.
That would be a meaningful jump for the Saints, not just a nice individual milestone. A 1,000-yard tight end changes how defenses have to play the middle of the field. It can create more favorable matchups for Olave and Tyson outside. It can also make Moore’s offense harder to read pre-snap because Johnson does not have to be used only as a traditional inline tight end.
The Saints do not need Johnson to become the entire offense. They need him to keep being dependable while turning a few more of those steady gains into drive-changing plays.
That is where his connection with Shough becomes important. The quarterback praised Johnson’s leadership and his ability to separate. He also made it clear the Saints are putting more on the tight end group as a whole.
“It’s a lot on our plate,” Shough said of the different groupings the Saints are working through.
That line is worth remembering. New Orleans is not simply collecting tight ends. The Saints appear to be building an offense that can shift shapes, protect Shough with better matchups and keep defenses from locking into one answer.
Johnson is the veteran piece in that plan.
And based on Shough’s comments, the Saints quarterback believes Johnson is ready for more than just another steady season.
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