Saints Have a Taysom Hill, Jameis Winston Quarterback Controversy
The New Orleans Saints are going to sign Jameis Winston to a one-year deal to backup future NBC broadcaster Drew Brees. It's an interesting signing for everyone involved, from the Saints to Winston to Drew Brees' heir apparent, Taysom Hill. The Saints might have a rare backup quarterback controversy.
Sources tell Yahoo Sports the #Saints are finalizing a 1-year deal with free agent QB Jameis Winston. New Orleans hopes to continue maximizing Taysom Hill's versatility on gameday while mitigating some risk in exposing Drew Brees' backup to injury.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) April 26, 2020
Story: https://t.co/srblaQWfhI pic.twitter.com/D2jNWL2446
Taysom Hill was supposed to have the Saints starting job when Brees finally retires, but now Winston complicates things. While Hill was electric on each of his seven career pass completions, Winston has actually been an NFL starter for multiple seasons. Does this mean the Saints do view Hill as nothing more than an oddity?
As for Winston, the former No. 1 pick, who threw for 33 touchdowns and more than 5,100 yards last season, what does this mean for him? The talent is there, but so are the turnovers. The starting quarterback market dries up in a hurry when you throw 30 picks in a single season. Apparently all 32 teams are happy with their current starting quarterback situations. Including places like Chicago and New England, who did nothing to seriously address their issues in the draft or free agency.
So a healthy, 26-year-old Jameis Winston has settled for a DeMarcus Cousins in Golden State type situation. He gets to go in and try out for a year in a really good situation. Except this is football and there is no guarantee that Winston will ever see the field. Especially when the team already has a section of their playbook dedicated to ways to get the other backup onto the field. Winston is apparently OK with this as he reportedly made a career-oriented decision and not just a one-time business decision.
As the #Saints and FA QB Jameis Winston close in on a 1-year deal, worth noting Winston turned down a more lucrative offer elsewhere to learn from some of the best. The former #Bucs starter put the emphasis on his future in a smart choice.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2020
Winston has chosen a high-profile, low-pressure situation where he can learn from a Super Bowl-winning coach and one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. With Brees on the way out, Winston could be putting himself in position to be his replacement.
There are so many ways this could go. Brees could stay healthy and neither Hill nor Winston could get a chance to play any real quarterback minutes next season. Winston could just re-enter free agency a year from now in the same exact position. Brees could miss more time and Winston could prove himself as a starter and put himself in position to be a top free agent. Or maybe Winston or Hill could get traded a month into the season.
The possibilities are unlimited. The options are many for the Saints, who again have one of the strongest quarterback depth charts in the league. Then when the season ends, Brees picks what he wants to do and the other two guys go from there.