Saints Rumors: Insider Predicts Taysom Hill Starts as QB Ahead of Jameis Winston

The major question heading into the 2021 season for the New Orleans Saints is the future of the quarterback position, with Drew Brees expected to retire. 

He hasn't announced that retirement though, so much remains up in the air, including whether the team will bring back Jameis Winston to fight for the starting spot with Taysom Hill. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, Hill remains the front-runner to win the gig:

"Assuming [Brees] retires, the cap-strapped Saints may just sit tight with Hill and Winston, who is a free agent but should be fairly cheap. One source predicted the Saints will start the season with Hill, and if he doesn't work out, they can return him to the super utility role and go with Winston. If Winston has a higher market than expected, the Saints can perhaps turn to [Jacoby] Brissett, [Teddy] Bridgewater, or Ryan Fitzpatrick as the veteran backup."

Hill, 30, threw for 928 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions last season, completing 72.7 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 457 yards and eight scores and caught eight passes for 98 yards and another touchdown.

As the starting quarterback, he went 3-1 on the season, getting the nod over Winston when Brees was out injured. 

Winston made four appearances but threw just 11 passes on the year for 75 yards. His last full season as a starter was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it was a wildly inconsistent showing, with Winston throwing for 5,109 yards and 33 scores but also adding a whopping 30 interceptions, taking 47 sacks and completing just 60.7 percent of his passes. 

If ever there was an offseason to replace Brees (again, if he actually retires), this is an intriguing one. Dak Prescott could possibly hit free agency, though the Dallas Cowboys will almost assuredly use the franchise tag to keep him around if they don't find common ground on a long-term extension. Trade buzz has circulated around Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, two players who would be upgrades over Brees. 

And free agents like Brissett, Fitzpatrick, Tyrod Taylor, Mitchell Trubisky or Cam Newton could be interesting stopgap additions in the short term. But the Saints turned to Hill in 2020, so at the very least, they have an in-house option they seem to trust for next season.