The shorthanded New Orleans Saints added another quarterback to the depth chart after Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian entered COVID-19 protocols this week. As first reported by the Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Jeff Duncan and confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints are bringing in free agent passer Blake Bortles to back up rookie draft pick Ian Book on Monday night against the Miami Dolphins.
With Hill and Siemian sidelined and Jameis Winston still recovering from a season-ending knee injury, Book was their only healthy option. Now they’ve got two. Initially just another Jacksonville Jaguars draft bust, Bortles has gone on to back up better quarterbacks with the Los Angeles Rams (twice), Denver Broncos, and Green Bay Packers.
Still, don’t look for Bortles to get into Monday night’s game against Miami. This is Book’s opportunity to show the team what he can do. Bortles is more of a buffer between Book and some sort of bizarre wildcat offense built around an even larger role for Alvin Kamara and maybe Malcolm Perry, a wide receiver on the practice squad who played quarterback at the U.S. Naval Academy. It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s the one the Saints feel gives them the best shot at beating the Dolphins this week.
