How old is Tyler Shough? Louisville sleeper can join Brandon Weeden, other oldest QBs drafted in Round 1

David Suggs

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How old is Tyler Shough? Louisville sleeper can join Brandon Weeden, other oldest QBs drafted in Round 1 image

Tyler Shough certainly looks like an NFL quarterback.

The 6-5 arbalest carries the sort of size and strength scouts wax lyrical about.

He also has the attributes: Shough possesses a lively arm, solid field vision, and strong poise within clean pockets. It's easy to see why the Louisville alum is drawing interest as a fringe Day 1 — and likely Day 2 — candidate in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Still, there are a handful of traits that dull some of the luster surrounding Shough. He's not all that mobile and can become rushed and flustered when the pocket breaks.

He's also dealt with an amalgam of injuries throughout his lengthy college career.

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Finally, there's his age. Shough isn't merely a college football veteran. He's older than a great many current NFL passers, including Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Brock Purdy.

With that, here's what you need to know about Shough's age, including how it compares to other throwers selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

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How old is Tyler Shough?

Born on Sept. 28, 1999, Shough is 25. He'll turn 26 during Week 4 of the NFL season.

In a draft class filled with collegiate veterans — Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Jaxson Dart all played at two or more schools, for example — Shough is one of its oldest talents. He spent seven years in school, first landing in Oregon in 2018.

Shough started seven games with the Ducks in 2020, his final season in Eugene. He was solid but unspectacular, collecting 1,559 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions on 63.5 percent passing. Anthony Brown replaced him in Oregon's Pac-12 title game duels with USC. After Brown took over again in the Ducks' Fiesta Bowl defeat to Iowa State (and its star quarterback, Brock Purdy), Shough entered the transfer portal.

Shough joined Texas Tech ahead of the 2021 season, taking the reins of Matt Wells' offense before breaking his collarbone in Week 4. He was ruled out for the remainder of the season.

After enduring a QB battle with Donovan Smith, Shough emerged as the Red Raiders' starter again in 2022. Under his helm, Texas Tech went 5-0, although his numbers left something to be desired — Shough completed just 59.9 percent of his passes, tossing seven touchdowns to four interceptions.

Shough looked destined to start matches under center for the Red Raiders in 2023, as well, but a Week 4 ankle injury, revealed to be a broken fibula, spelled a premature end to his campaign. He summarily transferred to Louisville to finish out his college career, tallying 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns during his one year with the Cardinals.

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Oldest quarterbacks drafted in NFL first round

Shough will undoubtedly be one of the oldest quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Even if he is a surprise day one pick, he would still be a few years away from the title of oldest QB selected in the first round, however.

Brandon Weeden leads that group. He was nearly 29 when the Browns selected him 22nd overall in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Here's where Shough would rank on this list. The list dates back to 1967, and the age is from Sept. 1 of the quarterback's draft year.

RankNameAgeDraft year
1Brandon Weeden28.92012
2Tyler Shough*25.92025
2Jim Druckenmiller25.01997
4Bo Nix*24.52024
5Chad Pennington24.22000
6Ryan Tannehill24.12012
7Akili Smith24.01999
8Tony Eason23.91983
9Joey Harrington23.92002
10Phil Simms23.81979

* If Shough is drafted in first round in 2025

Contained in the above list is a number of potential Shough outcomes. Optimistically, Shough's experience could lend itself to immediate success, as Nix enjoyed a wondrous rookie campaign, tallying 29 touchdowns, the second-best mark in league history among first-year hurlers.

Meanwhile, Simms captured a Super Bowl MVP, Pennington and Tannehill enjoyed good but not great careers, and Eason even led the league in interception rate before falling off fast.

Then, there are the disappointments. Weeden, Jim Druckenmiller, Akili Smith, and Joey Harrington struggled mightily throughout their professional careers, drawing a rather rancid tag in the process: bust.

There's hope that Shough can find his footing in the professional game. Other notable who found success at a (somewhat) advanced age (for a rookie) include Vinny Testaverde (23.8), Jim Plunkett (23.7), Joe Burrow (23.7), Jim Harbaugh (23.7), Carson Palmer (23.7), Jim Everett (23.7), and Eli Manning (23.7). Shough, a 6-5 colossus, certainly has the frame to succeed at the next level, even if his potential isn't quite as high as some of his contemporaries.

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Whoever takes Shough will have to grapple with the stigma of his age. If he finds success, he'll be able to overcome it — but that's a major if, particularly given the track record of players like Weeden, Smith, and Harrington.

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.