The New Orleans Saints starting quarterback drama has been a pressure point for most of Who Dat Nation since the retirement of the face of the franchise himself, Drew Brees. We all knew it was coming, Brees was pushing through 40 and had a slew of injuries most of us didn’t know about until after the 2020 season. Leaving such a gaping hole in the Saints universe it was unclear who could fill Brees’ shoes.
How does a franchise recover from losing their future Hall of Fame quarterback? The guy who came to give hope to the city of New Orleans after one of the most devastating disasters we’ve ever seen, Hurricane Katrina, and even brought the city home a Super Bowl championship to keep his promise.
Life After Drew?
The answer is simple. You don’t replace a guy like Drew Brees. Brees will forever be New Orleans. Thanks, San Diego.
The question of “Where do we go from here?” has loomed heavy in the minds of everyone involved in the Saints organization, as well as fans, especially the ones who were around for the paper bag era. One thing a Saints fan never wants to relive is the paper bag era. Well that, and the 2018 no-call, but that’s another story in itself.
Here we sit in 2021 with one of two options: Taysom Hill – who has carried his weight and then some in Brees’ occasional absences, and being the Saints staple “Swiss army knife” as it has been so cleverly phrased. He’s been a quarterback, halfback, tight end, a handful of receiver positions and on several occasions, showed up on special teams. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton and Hill have a tight-knit bond and for some, that was enough for Taysom to assume the starting position after Brees’ exit.
Not So Fast.
The Saints didn’t sell a soul for a draft pick. Instead, they decided to give former Tampa Bay quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, and 2015 number one draft pick, Jameis Winston a shot to redeem himself after a not-so-stellar year at Tampa Bay. The 2019 stat that will haunt Winston forever, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season, plagued his stock in whether he could be what a team needed.
Although the quarterback drama has sent Saints fans into a frenzy, Monday night proved that New Orleans might just be sitting on a goldmine and that it’s not much of a battle after all. Winston and Hill shine in their own ways, and that could prove beneficial to the Saints the same way it did with Brees. First things first, Sean Payton isn’t an idiot. Payton’s career record of 139-84 proves he knows a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t. He’s not giving any definite answers, though. Lisa Salters asked Payton what his timeline is on deciding on a starting quarterback and he responded in true Sean Payton form.
Saints’ HC Sean Payton to ESPN’s Lisa Salters before tonight’s game vs. Jaguars on his timing to name a new starting QB: “Before we play our first game.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 23, 2021
It’s Jaboo Time!
Winston made his preseason starting debut Monday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars and for many, it was refreshing to see. Winston wrapped up the night 9 of 10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, while Hill struggled to get it rolling but eventually put points on the board. Monday night’s game showed us a lot – Jameis is capable of being “that guy” and that Taysom is Taysom, which works unbelievably well in Taysom-esque situations. Not to mention, Winston’s first touchdown scorcher to Marquez Callaway in double coverage (and an obvious interference) was a 53-yard bomb. The longest pass for the Saints since 2016.
? @Jaboowins DEEP TO @CallawayMarquez – TOUCHDOWN! ?#Saints pic.twitter.com/YheFLsVcRx
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 24, 2021
The fact that Winston can shut down and shut up anybody that thought he didn’t have it in him in a preseason game without a majority of his starting offense goes without saying. Imagine this Jameis with the addition of Alvin Kamara, Tre’Quan Smith, and (hopefully) Michael Thomas. Bringing that type of heat with an already dominant Saints defense, as we also saw Monday night, this Saints team could potentially be a force to be reckoned with.
