What should Saints do at quarterback? A look at all options, from Taysom Hill to Philip Rivers

The New Orleans Saints will not have Jameis Winston for the rest of the 2021 season after the beginning quarterback suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s win. Winston was having an excellent season for the Saints — his first because the crew’s beginning quarterback. 

Winston’s landing to interception ratio was by far the best of his profession at 4.7. He accomplished simply 59% of his passes, however threw for 14 touchdowns to simply three interceptions for a 102.8 passer score. Winston’s landing proportion of 8.7 was additionally first within the NFL, as he turned the dependable quarterback head coach Sean Payton envisioned when he named Winston the starter again in August. 

“We undoubtedly had been inspired,” Payton mentioned earlier this week. “We felt like we noticed the arm power, the management, all of these issues. Bear in mind, the factor we talked about on a regular basis is that they’re going to consider you by your report. He was 4-2 and it wasn’t at all times good, however completely. He is somebody who had develop into a significant a part of what we had been doing.”

The Saints do not look like any outdoors quarterback choices with Winston out, with Payton dismissing the notion by saying “we’re glad with our quarterback room.” Whereas its too late to herald an outdoor possibility this week to start out, there are nonetheless 10 video games left on the Saints schedule. The Saints are 5-2 and in prime place to make the playoffs too, which is why all choices have to be thought-about — irrespective of how nicely the interior choices fare in Payton’s system. 

What is going to New Orleans do at quarterback going ahead? Let’s take a look at Payton’s choices and what he ought to do within the days and weeks forward.

All issues thought-about, Hill is the most probably choice to be the beginning quarterback for the Saints going ahead. The Saints do have Hill signed to a $7.259 million contract to be on the roster — and Hill was the beginning quarterback final season when Drew Brees went down with a rib harm. 

Payton is aware of what he has concerning Hill based mostly on the pattern measurement within the 4 video games he began final season. Hill accomplished 71.9% of his passes for 834 yards with 4 touchdowns and two interceptions whereas speeding 39 instances for 209 yards (5.36 yards per carry) with 4 touchdowns in these 4 video games. Hill recorded a 96.9 passer score in his 4 begins because the Saints went 3-1 throughout that stretch.

Anticipate the Saints to make use of the identical offensive philosophy they did final season with Hill — be heavy on the run and use Hill’s ball-carrying skill as an added dimension to the offense. They’ve the personnel to perform this with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram within the backfield, the 1-2 punch New Orleans needed when the Saints acquired Ingram final week. 

Hill is anticipated to clear concussion protocol this week. He is the short-team reply for the Saints — and has the chance to increase his keep because the starter. 

Payton could possibly be pressed to go together with Siemian based mostly on how he carried out in Sunday’s win. With Hill out, Siemian was the No. 2 quarterback and performed in his first NFL recreation since 2019 as soon as Winston was misplaced with the harm. Siemian performed admirably, finishing 16 of 29 passes for 159 yards with a landing and 0 interceptions. 

Payton showcased his confidence in Siemian all through the sport, going for it on fourth down twice on the crew’s opening drive within the third quarter — changing each (which led to a landing). That is important since Siemian had thrown simply six passes in a recreation for the reason that begin of the 2019 season previous to Sunday.

Siemian has been in Payton’s system for practically a 12 months, and has began 25 video games within the NFL. This is not his first rodeo within the league and Payton definitely has a liking to him. Payton in contrast Siemian to Ty Detmer, who he was the quarterbacks coach for in 1997 with the Philadelphia Eagles — his first teaching job. 

“He is a kind of guys who’s fairly calm,” Payton mentioned. “He is by no means (flustered). It is a good trait for him. It was not good. There have been quite a lot of issues that we’re going to have the ability to coach off of the tape on. I assumed we performed with power, and that was a giant concern of mine coming off of the Monday evening west coast journey. I assumed we performed with a whole lot of power.” 

If Siemian begins for just a few video games, it might be laborious to fault Payton. Because the long-term reply for this season, that is debatable. 

Arduous to depend out the potential for Rivers being the beginning quarterback of the Saints a month from now. Rivers, whose highschool season simply ended (first 12 months as a head coach), mentioned he would hearken to the Saints in the event that they had been to present him a name. 

“Like I informed you guys six or eight weeks in the past, I will keep considerably prepared in case the proper storm hits,” Rivers said to Mark Heim on WNSP-FM 105.5 Tuesday. “There’s been no dialogue, however you may’t shut the door on something. Though I nonetheless stick by it is a tremendous, tremendous slim probability. It is acquired to be the proper scenario for our household.”

The Saints can be the proper alternative for Rivers to make one other run at a Super Bowl, particularly for the reason that Saints have a powerful working recreation with Kamara and Ingram together with a protection that generates turnovers and places strain on the opposing quarterback. All Rivers must be is a recreation supervisor, one who has thrown for for 63,four hundred and forty yards and 421 touchdowns in his 17-year profession — rating fifth all-time in each classes. 

Rivers simply retired final season, and the 38-year-old quarterback performed nicely in his solely 12 months with the Indianapolis Colts. He accomplished 68% of his passes for 4,169 yards with 24 touchdowns to 11 interceptions (97.0 score), main the Colts to the playoffs with an 11-5 report — and performed nicely in that postseason loss on the street in Buffalo. 

If the Saints had been to signal Rivers, it might take him till Thanksgiving to prepare to start out — however he can be prepared for the stretch run of the season in December and January. Rivers can be the long-term reply for New Orleans, who’re contenders in a loaded NFC. He could be the quarterback they want for a deep playoff run. 

Drew Brees 

Do not financial institution on Brees popping out of retirement for an additional shot at a Tremendous Bowl. The longer term Corridor of Fame quarterback and present NBC analyst mentioned he’ll be calling the Notre-Dame-Navy recreation Saturday and will probably be within the studio Sunday, fulfilling his obligations with the community. As for the following week and future weeks? Do not depend on it. 

Brees suffered loads of accidents in his ultimate season in New Orleans, which led to his retirement within the first place. Brees’ spouse, Brittany, revealed in an Instagram post this offseason all of the accidents her husband suffered in 2020. In response to Brittany Brees, Drew Brees had a torn rotator cuff, torn fascia, a collapsed lung, and 11 damaged ribs. 

“I solely actually felt good in a single recreation, from the angle of, I had all of the instruments in my toolbox,” Brees said in April. “I had a whole lot of limitations all through the season as to what I might and could not do, and I acknowledged that. And that is actually laborious for a competitor. That is actually laborious when you understand what you need to be capable of do, and but you may’t due to numerous accidents, or issues which can be going down along with your physique.”

Even with an almost 11 months to get wholesome, Brees seems to have no real interest in a return. He appears at peace together with his resolution to retire — and seems in line to be the following shade commentator for “Sunday Evening Soccer.” Arduous to move up the chance Brees possesses for yet one more season of soccer.