METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is learning on the job.
The rookie is juggling the big things as he approaches his third NFL start, settling into a leadership role and establishing chemistry with the team's wide receivers. But he has to smooth out the finer details, right down to remembering the correct way to send a teammate into motion.
Shough laughed when recalling a practice in training camp in which he motioned running back Alvin Kamara in the wrong direction.
"It's kind of second nature now. I mean it's little things you don't really think about," Shough said Wednesday. " ... I mean it was super funny at the time because I didn't even realize I was just kind of motioning in my hand or whatever and he was like, 'It's a little thing, but some guy may think you were motioning the other way, but we just had a laugh about it.'"
Shough took positive steps two weeks ago, when he earned his first win as a starter against the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, completing 70.4% of his passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns. He also showed the ability to avoid the rush and use his legs to extend plays.
Now he'll have to find a way to carry that momentum into his first home start Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).
"I feel more and more comfortable each day, each practice as I kind of build that chemistry with some of the guys," Shough said. "And I think it's part of it, the business of guys coming in and going, but for me I just feel really comfortable and there's going to be challenges ahead, so I'm going to continue to battle through those."
Trending up in his play will be important for Shough, 26, as the Saints try to use the final seven games of the season to answer one of their biggest questions: What do they have in their rookie quarterback and their young offensive players?
"His leadership builds each week, each time that he's in front of this group leading the charge, you can sense that," Moore said of Shough. "... I think you're getting more and more comfortable with it and now you're starting to be able to make some of those adjustments here and there and have a great feel for this thing and anticipate what's coming. And I think our guys are building the good rhythm together."
Quarterback won't be the only position under scrutiny for the Saints. They've recently revamped their wide receiver room, first trading Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 4 and then negotiating a release for veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks on Wednesday.
Saints coach Kellen Moore said that Cooks asked for his release, which was granted after a few days of negotiating a contract settlement that worked for both sides.
"Obviously this is a personal thing and he's been great for us," Moore said. "I feel like it's in the best interest of the team moving forward."
Moore said that the departures of the two receivers will open up more opportunities for Devaughn Vele and Mason Tipton, although neither player had a huge role against the Panthers.
Instead, Shough built a rapport with Chris Olave, who had 104 yards and a touchdown against Carolina. He also leaned on a familiarity with tight end Juwan Johnson that dates back to their days playing together at Oregon.
"When you feel like your quarterback is confident, that gives a lot of other people confidence," Johnson said. "Just knowing he's going out there, playing with a lot of confidence, a lot of swagger, a lot of moxy, I feel like that's kind of the biggest thing that propels an offense."
The Saints have four wideouts on the active roster after the moves and recently signed Kevin Austin Jr. off the practice squad. The evolving receiving room has been another adjustment for Shough, who was close to both Cooks and Shaheed.
"We have really good guys that are already here in [Devaughn] Vele and [Mason] Tipton and all those guys and I think Olave has done an excellent job," Shough said. "He's kind of expanded his leadership role, he's expanded just everything that he can do. Obviously ... everyone knows what he can do, but I think he's going to take it to a new level. So I'm excited."
Figuring out what the Saints have now will be important ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, where they're currently projected to hold a top-five pick. They could move up or down depending on the results of the next few games, where they'll play several other teams also in contention for the first pick of the draft, such as the New York Jets in Week 16 and the Tennessee Titans in Week 17.
If Shough succeeds, the Saints could use their top picks in the draft for other needs. But if they lose more games, then finding a quarterback in free agency or the draft could become a priority again.
Shough indicated he intends to make that decision a no-brainer, starting with Sunday's game against the Falcons.
"I want to be here for the long run and my play and how I control each day is going to reflect that," Shough said. "So my job is to do everything I can that way and that's all I care about. So whether we're 0-17 or 17-0, I'm treating it the same, I'm going to go play football and have fun. I love my teammates and love these guys and whoever's here, we're going to get after it."