A @NFLGameDay Notebook with @TomPelissero: Will the #Eagles trade QB Carson Wentz; The #Texans staring contest with QB Deshaun Watson; The #Saints future is either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill; The #Cowboys will tag Dak Prescott… unless they get a deal done. pic.twitter.com/zsYMPsSAvT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 7, 2021
While quarterback trade rumors and speculation on free agency and the upcoming 2021 NFL draft are swirling, it appears the New Orleans Saints are preparing to stand pat with passers they already know. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shed some light on the situation during an appearance on “NFL Gameday” ahead of Super Bowl LV kickoff.
“The New Orleans Saints knows this: Drew Brees is set to retire. He hasn’t officially announced it yet, but it’s going to happen,” Rapoport said. “Their quarterback plans for 2021 are this: Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.”
Hill started four games in 2020 while Brees was on the mend recovering from injuries, and while the Saints did go 3-1 in that stretch his play did leave a lot to be desired. And Saints coach Sean Payton saw enough out of Winston in practice during the season to want to bring the free agent back to New Orleans for a chance to compete for the starting gig in training camp.
Rapoport added: “My understanding is Jameis Winston is in the driver’s seat to be the starting quarterback for the Saints next season. He is the potential heir to everything Drew Brees had.”
Winston is one of the most-accomplished quarterbacks headed for the open market. Just 27 years old, he’s already started 70 games in the NFL while completing 61.3% of his attempts and throwing 121 touchdown passes. He also led the league in passing yards in 2019 (5,109). But he’s been prone to turnovers, which was worsened in Bruce Arians’ offense that same year (when he led the NFL with 30 interceptions). In 76 games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he threw 88 interceptions and fumbled 50 times.
On top of that, Winston has a lengthy history of misbehavior off the field ranging from a 2012 sexual assault trial to a 2016 groping incident with an Uber driver that led to a three-game suspension in 2018. He’s been a model citizen in New Orleans, but his actions away from the team facility have always been the driving concern with him. Maybe he’s grown up and learned to better respect women. This report certainly suggests the Saints believe he won’t be a problem again.
