Jameis Winston is joining the New Orleans Saints to back up Drew Brees and position himself for a bigger role when Brees moves on, possibly as early as 2021.
Winston’s contract was understated, presumably due to a lack of interest across the league and his willingness to take less in order to land in a desirable location. But if quarterback guru Sean Payton can coax some of the unnecessary risks out of Winston’s game, our Seth Galina sees him as a viable long-term starter.
The problem is that the quarterback room isn’t empty in New Orleans. Despite Taysom Hill having only 15 career pass attempts to his name, the Saints put their money behind Sean Payton’s words and backed Hill as a starting-caliber quarterback. First, the team placed a first-round tender on Hill — which only made sense if losing him wasn’t worth a second-round pick — then they extended him through the 2021 season with a contract that will pay real quarterback money — $21 million total with $16 million in guarantees.
If you were to go by the stat sheet, Winston and his 2,500 career pass attempts would be the logical choice to take the reins from Brees, but the Saints’ payroll says it should be Hill. So, who is the best choice?
The answer isn’t Hill or Winston. It’s Hill and Winston.
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