Throwin’ heat in the Dome and on the parade route.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough served as the grand marshal for the Krewe of Pygmalion’s Mardi Gras parade last night in the Big Easy, and by the looks of it, he may or may not have sent a few people to the hospital along the way.
Shough just finished his rookie season with the Saints after being taken in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He started the season as the backup to Spencer Rattler, but was named the starter after the Saints started the season 1-7.
With the rookie QB under center, the team finished the season 5-4, and Shough cemented himself as the future of the New Orleans Saints. He finished the season with 2,384 passing yards and 10 touchdowns in only 11 games, became the only rookie quarterback to ever throw for 300 yards in a game, and rushed for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns himself.
Unlike his predecessor Derek Carr, it seems like Shough is really embracing living in New Orleans, and last night he even had his first opportunity to ride in a Mardi Gras parade.
Shough was grand marshal for the Krewe of Pygmalion parade (if you’re not familiar with Mardi Gras, all of the parades are thrown by “krewes,” pronounced like “crew,” which are basically social clubs that put on the parades), and it seems like QB1 was really enjoying himself during his first ride down St. Charles Avenue.
The Saints shared a video of Shough riding in the parade, and participating in the time-honored tradition of tossing throws to the crowd.
Well, kinda. Shough wasn’t exactly tossing the foam footballs. He was throwing them like he was trying to find a wide receiver running a route.
I used to live in New Orleans (and still go back every year to ride in a Mardi Gras parade myself) and I can tell you there’s nothing like being in the crowd trying to catch the beads, cups, hats, footballs, crawfish trays…whatever’s being thrown during the parades. It can get competitive on the parade route and I’ve been hit in the face by beads more times than I can count.
But I can’t imagine being out there (after no doubt having a few drinks) and seeing a spiral like that coming straight at my face. Nobody told him he’s supposed to toss them?
Regardless, the internet was loving Shough throwing hospital balls to little kids during a parade:
Living his best life. That’s my QB.
Now, in case you were wondering, there are actually laws in Louisiana that say if you get hit by something thrown from a parade it’s your own fault and you can’t sue the city or the parade for your injuries. But man, Shough is going to injure himself in the offseason because he was slingin’ foam footballs during a parade. Save that arm for the Falcons game, we need you healthy.
Still, you leave to see Shough out there on the route enjoying and embracing his new city.
Just keep him away from the Zulu parade, which throws coconuts, or Muses, which throws shoes.
