The 2021 offseason is providing plenty of speculation for New Orleans Saints fans.
A lot of the speculation is centered around the quarterback position.
This is unfamiliar territory for the New Orleans Saints.
Drew Brees has been the starting quarterback for the Saints for 15 years.
At this point, people believe he is going to announce his retirement any day now.
Drew Brees' announcement for 2021 could be coming in the next week; it's widely-expected he will retire. https://t.co/ayWDJxN1Be
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 3, 2021
The Saints’ other quarterbacks on the 2020 roster were Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston.
Taysom Hill is under contract for the 2021 season; he is expected to earn $16.1 million.
Jameis Winston is a free agent.
The Saints have to make a decision whether or not they want to re-sign him.
They should definitely re-sign him, and here’s why.
1. Despite What The Roster Says, Winston Is The Backup
“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.” – @RapSheet #Noles #Saints pic.twitter.com/jWGE81C4y0
— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) February 10, 2021
Taysom Hill would be the third string quarterback.
Jameis Winston is the true backup because he actually started and played in an entire 16 game season.
Hill has appeared in 16 games in a season but mostly for trick and wildcat plays here and there.
Winston has the playing time and the experience.
There is plenty of room for improvement in his accuracy; he definitely is prone to throwing interceptions.
That’s an entirely different discussion.
2. Brees Is Still Technically The Starting QB
Ever since the Saints lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs, there has been a watchful waiting that Brees is going to announce his retirement.
That loss happened on January 17 so almost a month later there is still not a definite declaration that Brees is retiring.
Maybe he is taking this time to heal his body from the broken ribs and punctured lung.
He may have one more year left in him.
At this point signing Winston is just an insurance policy that is not a bad decision if Brees stays or retires.
Even if Brees retires, the Saints come into camp with Winston and Hill.
They could compete for the job, or the Saints could look to add to the ranks with a QB draft pick.
What Would A Jameis Winston Contract Look Like?
One thing we know for sure is that the Saints won’t get him as cheaply as they did for the 2020 season.
His one year deal with New Orleans was for $1.1 million.
Winston fired his agent after signing the deal.
How does Andy Dalton get $7 million while Jameis is making $1.1M??? https://t.co/o469CUGKeM
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) May 3, 2020
If the Saints want to re-sign him, they can expect it to cost more money.
Sean Payton Wants To Re-sign Him.
Payton has hinted that the next Saints’ quarterback is in the building so it has to be Winston or Hill.
Sean Payton talked to ESPN about Jameis Winston shortly before the Super Bowl.
“Jameis Winston, we know. We had a year with him. He was fantastic as a leader. He’s got tremendous arm talent. He’s a young prospect that we like a lot. When you have a player for a season, he’s kind of giving you a chance to see what he’s about, and there’s a little bit of an audition there. But the same audition takes place for us. He’s getting a chance to see, ‘Hey, this is how they do it here. Does this fit me? Does this head coach, this position coach? Is this a place I feel comfortable playing?'”
If Payton wants him back, it is practically a done deal.
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