After a huge personal accomplishment by Drew Brees this past NFL season, he could’ve taken the moment to retire. Brees took the off-season with some full consideration of whether to retire or return to the New Orleans Saints. On March 17th, Brees and the Saints agreed on a two-year deal worth $50 million. As a result, their reliable backup quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater signed a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. The Saints were able to resign flex quarterback Taysom Hill and sign former starting Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter Jameis Winston on one-year deals.
The 41-year old quarterback in Brees still has energy left in the tank. There is the potential of Brees sticking with the Saints after his two-year deal but either party might decide to move on. New Orleans will need to look for their next franchise quarterback after Brees. There are plenty of options that New Orleans can utilize to acquire a future franchise quarterback. Some options are currently on the roster of the Saints while others may have to use free agency or the NFL Draft.
Potential Franchise Quarterbacks for New Orleans After Drew Brees Retires
Taysom Hill
Since being drafted by the Saints, Hill has been anything but a prototypical quarterback. Hill has played in 37 games while starting in nine of them as a flex-option at slot receiver. In three seasons in the league, Hill has thrown for 119 yards on six completions out of 13 attempts. Hill has been a highly efficient rusher and receiver by accounting for 352 yards and three touchdowns on 64 carries as well as 22 receptions for 238 yards and six touchdowns. The only time that Hill has lined up at quarterback is to be an RPO-style playmaker. Hill signed a first-round tender on March 16th and then signed a one-year contract extension on April 26th. If Hill is a legit option for New Orleans’ future, Hill will need to develop his arm strength, consistency, and reliability. He would be the ultimate developmental tool for head coach Sean Payton.
Jameis Winston
Winston has experienced an up-and-down career since being drafted first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Through his five years in the league, Winston has excelled in producing numbers of passing yards and touchdowns. This past season, he was the NFL’s passing yards leader with 5,109 yards and he threw for 33 touchdowns. He also threw for 30 interceptions last seasons under first-year head coach Bruce Arians. The Buccaneers let his contract run out and signed Tom Brady. The Saints signed Winston to a one-year deal worth $1.1 million to be their backup quarterback. Winston has a chance to learn a year under Brees to be a more consistent passer. Brees missed five games due to injury last season which boosted Bridgewater as a passer when he started for the Saints. The Saints can give Winston another contract after the 2020 season if they are determined to have him replace Brees.
A New Quarterback via NFL Free Agency
The Saints are no strangers to letting their contracts run out and work with the position needs as they come. New Orleans didn’t deal with the contract of Brees until he was a free agent. They might be looking to do the same when his two years are up. Quarterbacks that are projected to be free agents when Brees’ new contract is up are Kirk Cousins, Jacoby Brissett, Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor, and Phillip Walker. It will be difficult for Cousins to not resign with the Minnesota Vikings. None of the other quarterbacks are likely franchise quarterbacks for their teams. They might sign their quarterback in the 2021 NFL Free Agency when players like Andy Dalton and Kyle Allen are signed under one-year deals.
2021 NFL Draft Options
The most reliable and long-term option for a franchise quarterback for the Saints is through the NFL Draft. There are several first-round caliber quarterbacks in the potential 2021 NFL Draft class even after Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. The Saints are likely to be back in the NFL Playoffs this upcoming NFL season. Regardless of how far they go in the playoffs, they will be out of reach for Lawrence and Fields. They could use that late pick on a great pocket passer like North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan, Georgia’s Jamie Newman, or Iowa State’s Brock Purdy. With Drew Brees having one year left on his contract, this would give their selected rookie quarterback time to develop.
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