New Orleans Saints

By all appearances, the New Orleans Saints quarterback battle between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill was very much alive throughout the spring and summer. 

It ended on Monday night. 

Sean Payton has made it clear to the world he loves Hill—a jack-of-all-trades 31-year-old who worked in with Drew Brees more often than he probably should have during the final few years of Brees's career. But even Payton now has to admit Winston gives the Saints a significantly better chance than Hill. 

One week after he averaged more yards per attempt than Hill and was the only Saints quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in the team's preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens, Winston was nearly perfect with nine completions on 10 attempts and two touchdowns over three series as the Saints dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. 

There wasn't much Hill could do from there, but an 11-for-20 night and just 6.9 yards per attempt (compared to 12.3 for Winston) wasn't enough. He did throw a third-quarter touchdown pass, but he also might have gotten away with an interception in that same frame. All of that came against deep reserves. 

Most encouraging is Winston's glaring chemistry with field-stretching 23-year-old wideout Marquez Callaway, who was on the receiving end of five of Winston's nine completions, including both touchdown bombs. 

The first deep touchdown to Callaway was risky and easily could have been intercepted, but it was also a throw very few NFL quarterbacks can make.

We know who Winston is. He's that guy who went over 5,000 yards and threw 33 touchdown passes but was also intercepted on a ridiculous 30 occasions two years ago with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If he starts the entire 2021 season in New Orleans, he'll almost certainly throw more picks than Hill would have in the same role. But it's worth finding out if he's evolved enough to at least cut down on those mistakes, and if he can hit on enough big plays to compensate for however many interceptions he throws. 

Why not find out? We're talking about a 27-year-old who was a No. 1 pick and a Pro Bowler as a rookie. He has it in him, and it's fair for Payton to believe he can excel now that he's more mature and has more support in New Orleans than he ever did in Tampa. 

The post-Drew Brees Saints would have a pretty obvious ceiling with Hill, who may or may not be a gimmick quarterback but completed just six NFL passes before his 30th birthday. The tape indicates he simply isn't efficient enough as a deep passer, even if he's safer than Winston. "Safe" probably won't cut it for these Saints, who fell short of the Super Bowl each of the past 11 seasons even with a future Hall of Famer under center. 

The boom-or-bust dynamic with Winston could also be a blessing because if he blows up again, it's easy to move on next offseason, and you might have even more draft capital to find your quarterback for 2022 and beyond. 

If Winston explodes, you could win 12 games and make a playoff run. If he implodes, you might lose 12 and land a top-five pick. Hill represented the middle of the road, which is boring and shouldn't be something Payton and his veteran team is aiming for right now. 

And while this might seem preposterous on the surface because Brees is a legend, the reality is this version of Winston is much more physically capable than the Brees we saw during the twilight of his career. In fact, according to ESPN Stats & Info, his first touchdown pass to Callaway traveled longer in the air than any Saints touchdown pass since 2016. 

Payton told reporters before Monday's game that he had no timetable for choosing a starting quarterback. And while we should probably expect to see Hill at least as often as we saw him with Brees, Winston forced his veteran coach's hand before the first quarter was over against Jacksonville. He's gotta be the No. 1 option.

A timetable should no longer be necessary. The Jameis Winston era must begin when the Saints host the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 12. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter: @Brad_Gagnon.

Whether or not Sean Payton is ready to call the competition over remains to be seen, but Jameis Winston made a strong case to win the New Orleans Saints' quarterback competition on Monday night. 

Winston went 9-of-10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Marquez Callaway, who was on the receiving end of both scores, made a name for himself with 104 yards on five catches on balls thrown by Winston. 

What does all of this mean for your fantasy team? 

Well, it's complicated because of Payton's indecision. The Saints head coach has been giving conflicting information regarding when he will name a starter. 

After telling Peter King of NBC Sports he hoped to decide between Winston and Taysom Hill before Saturday's preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals, Payton told reporters prior to Monday's game he didn't have a timeline. 

“I don’t have one,” Payton said. “I don’t have one right now. Before we play the first game.”

Just watching what Winston did in his three drives against the Jaguars, it's hard to believe he's not a better option than Hill given their respective skill sets. 

Winston has always been a highly volatile player in the NFL. He's most famous for being the only player in league history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season (2019 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 

As bad as that season was from a real-life football perspective, it was still incredibly valuable in the fantasy world. Winston finished as the No. 3 quarterback in standard scoring leagues, behind Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott. 

Winston has three seasons with at least 4,000 yards passing and 20 touchdown passes. He would absolutely be worth a late-round flier if you want to focus your earlier attention on running backs and wide receivers. 

Fantasy Pros currently has Winston ranked in the fifth tier of quarterbacks and No. 30 at the position. He's behind Jared Goff and Cam Newton, among others. 

That ranking could change if Payton ends up naming him the starter, but for right now, that's incredibly good value. 

The big winner from this game, though, is undoubtedly Callaway. We know the Saints have a need for someone in their receiving corps to step up. Michael Thomas could miss multiple games to start the season after undergoing ankle surgery in June. 

Callaway looked fantastic in New Orleans' first preseason contest against the Baltimore Ravens last week. He had three catches for 61 yards on four targets from Hill in that game. 

There's not a lot of competition for the No. 1 receiver job in New Orleans right now with Thomas unavailable. Tre'Quan Smith has speed, but he's never turned into a go-to guy over the past three seasons. Deonte Harris might get an expanded role in the offense, though his most prominent role will remain as a returner on special teams. 

Alvin Kamara will probably start the season as the go-to target for whomever ends up being the Saints quarterback. The four-time Pro Bowler has caught at least 81 passes in each of his first four seasons. 

But if the Saints are looking for someone who can stretch the field against opposing defenses, it's hard to argue with what Callaway has done. 

Fantasy managers might be able to steal Callaway off the waiver wire if they just want to take a gamble. He's currently the 95th-ranked receiver by Fantasy Pros and has an average draft position of 183 right now. 

Even if Callaway doesn't play like a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver, he could absolutely put up enough production on a week-to-week basis to be starting in a flex spot for your team.  

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton isn't ready to name Drew Brees' successor just yet.

"I don't have one right now," he told reporters prior to Monday's preseason contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars when asked if there was a timetable to determine the starter between Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. "Before we play the first game."

However, Payton did tell Peter King that he hopes to name the starter before the Saints' final preseason contest against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. That means Monday's preseason game against the Jaguars could go a long way toward influencing the decision.

Both Winston and Hill saw time in the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens and the former went 7-of-12 passing for 96 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The latter went 8-of-12 passing for 81 yards, zero touchdown passes and one interception.

There are advantages to each, as Winston led the league in passing yards (5,109) in 2019 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has plenty of starting experience. Hill brings athleticism and went 3-1 as a starter while replacing an injured Brees last season.

Still, Hill has more limitations as a thrower, and turnovers have plagued Winston at times during his career.

The Florida State product also led the league with 30 interceptions during that same season he led the NFL in passing yards.

Whichever quarterback gets the nod will be under plenty of pressure. After all, he will be replacing one of the best signal-callers in league history and a future Hall of Famer in Brees. All Brees did was become synonymous with the Saints organization and retire with a Super Bowl ring and 13 Pro Bowl selections on his resume.

The race between Hill and Winston will be the biggest storyline in New Orleans heading into the eventual season opener against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 12.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton announced Jameis Winston will start Monday night's preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of the ongoing quarterback battle with Taysom Hill.

It was an expected move after Hill started the exhibition opener, a 17-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday. Both contenders for the starting job threw 12 passes in that contest, and they'll likely split duties pretty evenly against the Jags.

Neither quarterback took a firm grasp of the top spot on the depth chart against the Ravens. Here's a look at their respective stats:

• Hill: 8 of 12 for 81 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

• Winston: 7 of 12 for 96 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Rookie Ian Book, the team's projected No. 3 quarterback, also threw an interception, and each of the running backs who touched the ball (Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman and Tony Jones Jr.) lost a fumble as part of a mistake-filled game for the Saints offense.

In turn, Payton didn't think it was the right time to discuss the QB competition. He told reporters:

I'm not making any comparisons about the quarterbacks right now. It doesn't matter who, really, with six turnovers, right? I said to these guys, 'There's some things we're going to like on film.' I thought we played with energy. There's a handful of things. It's going to be overshadowed with the early mistakes, and despite how you play in the kicking game, defensively or some snaps offensively, it just overshadows all of it.

Winston has more experience in the starting role after five years leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense from 2015 through 2019. In his final year with the Bucs, he became the first signal-caller in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season.

Hill, who's mostly been a multifaceted offensive weapon across four years with the Saints, received a four-game quarterback audition last year while Drew Brees was injured. He performed well with eight total touchdowns (four passing and four rushing) and two interceptions in those starts.

Brees' offseason retirement then created the full-time opening.

Along with their generally similar outings in the first preseason game, neither quarterback has stood out during training camp practices, either.

Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Advocate assessed the battle Wednesday:

But the reality is neither Hill nor Winston have separated themselves from the other. It's tough to tell whether that reflects well on Hill, who clearly came into training camp ready to compete for the starting job, or poorly on Winston, who despite being the overwhelming favorite for the job has not put Hill away.

At this point, it still feels like Winston is in line to be the Saints' Week 1 starter at quarterback, but that feels less sure as the days pass.

In other words, it sounds like one standout performance from either quarterback could swing the race.

After Monday's clash with the Jaguars, the Saints finish the preseason Aug. 28 against the Arizona Cardinals before kicking off the regular season Sept. 12 by hosting the Green Bay Packers.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton doesn't have any question where Michael Thomas will spend his season. As the wideout continues to rehab an ankle injury, Payton told reporters he still expects Thomas to play a major role on the team's offense.

Thomas did not play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Baltimore Ravens, though he did make the trip with his teammates for the exhibition. 

The 2019 Offensive Player of the Year is coming off a seven-game campaign in 2020 during which he caught 40 passes for 438 yards without any touchdowns. 

Yet after a contentious offseason that saw a rift develop between the Saints and their star receiver, Thomas and Payton appear to be getting back on solid terms. Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported Wednesday that the two have been in regular communication lately and a trade request seems much less likely as camp continues. 

Per Robinson: 

Two sources familiar with the talks said Payton and Thomas had a recent meeting to clear the air over two lingering issues: comments Payton made regarding his frustration over the offseason timing of Thomas’s ankle surgery; and a subsequent social media post from Thomas that suggested the wideout was now at odds with the team.

“They had a good talk about [the issues],” one source said. “I think they both believe it’s not anything that has to go any further than what is already out there. There was some frustration from both viewpoints and that was the point of the meeting.”

That frustration appears to stem from Thomas' ankle injury, which the wideout attempted to come back from without surgery this offseason. In June, that option no longer remained feasible, and Thomas went for a procedure to correct the issue.

A lack of communication between Thomas and his team leading up to the decision appeared to boil over once the Ohio State product decided on an operation. 

"Obviously we would've liked that to happen earlier than later," Payton said two weeks ago as training camp opened. "And quite honestly, it should've,"

Thomas has yet to give a full account of his side of things to reporters, but he posted a not-so-cryptic message on social media that more or less addressed the situation. 

As tensions continue to cool down, both the Saints and Thomas are working on a way forward that keeps the 28-year-old in New Orleans for the foreseeable future. 

Amid recent drama between the New Orleans Saints and Michael Thomas, the star wide receiver will reportedly be with the team for its preseason opener Saturday. 

Per ESPN's Mike Triplett, Thomas has joined the Saints ahead of their game against the Baltimore Ravens, though he will remain sidelined after June ankle surgery.

There has been some trade speculation involving Thomas amid a dispute with the Saints about the timing of the procedure. 

Larry Holder of The Athletic reported Friday that the Saints are "more than open" to trading their two-time All-Pro wide receiver. 

Despite the trade buzz, there have been indications that New Orleans is also trying to keep things cordial with Thomas. 

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that Thomas and Saints head coach Sean Payton "have had positive talks" recently to "clear the air" between the two sides. 

The issues became public when Payton told reporters on July 28 he wasn't happy that Thomas waited until June to have ankle surgery. 

"Well, look, it appears we're gonna have to spend some time without him. It's disappointing," Payton said. "And we'll work through it with the other players that are here. But the surgery took place, and obviously we would've liked that to happen earlier than later. And quite honestly, it should've."

Last week, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com reported Thomas ignored calls from members of the Saints organization, including Payton, for three months during the offseason. 

Earlier this week, Thomas posted a cryptic tweet that appeared to be commenting on some of his issues with the Saints:

Trying to trade Thomas would seem to be very difficult. The 28-year-old only has a $10.1 million cap hit this season, but the Saints would absorb roughly a $10 million dead-cap hit in 2021 and $22.7 million in 2022. 

All those years of free spending appear to have caught up with New Orleans. The team already has $223.32 million in salary commitments next season, per Spotrac.

Thomas' trade value is likely at an all-time low because he is expected to miss the start of the regular season because of his surgery. He only caught 40 passes for 438 yards with zero touchdowns in seven games last season. 

It's in the best interest of Thomas and the Saints to work together and figure out a path forward next offseason.    

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly "more than open" to a blockbuster trade involving Pro Bowl wide receiver Michael Thomas following a public disagreement about his decision to undergo ankle surgery in June, which will cause him to miss the start of the 2021 season.

Larry Holder of The Athletic reported Friday he expects an "unceremonious end" to Thomas' time with the Saints and noted it could happen "sooner than anyone expected."

The first sign of tension came in late July when New Orleans head coach Sean Payton was asked about being without one of the team's top playmakers to open the new campaign.

"It appears we're going to have to spend some time without him. It's disappointing, but we'll work through it with the other players that are here," Payton told reporters. "The surgery took place. Obviously, we would have liked that to have happened earlier than later. Quite honestly, it should have."

On Monday, Thomas made a cryptic post on Twitter that was seemingly a response to the criticism:

The 28-year-old Ohio State product was one of the NFL's best players across his first four seasons with the Saints, who selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft. He tallied 470 receptions for 5,512 yards and 32 touchdowns from 2016 through 2019, including a single-season record of 149 catches in 2019.

Thomas suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 1 last year, however, and he never appeared to fully recover en route to 40 catches and no touchdowns in seven appearances.

While Payton was frustrated with the receiver's decision to wait until June for the surgery, thus pushing his recovery timetable into the regular season, general manager Mickey Loomis explained the team was initially on board with nonsurgical rehabilitation but the plan didn't work out.

"Obviously, in hindsight, we would've preferred the surgery to be earlier [in February or March] but it wasn't, so it is what it is," Loomis said.

Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported Wednesday that Thomas and Payton recently had a meeting to talk through their respective frustrations, and a rival NFL general manager said any trade in the short term likely wouldn't land fair-market value for the two-time first-team All-Pro.

"It would make more sense to just ride it out, at least until he's back on the field," the GM told Robinson. "If it's not going to work after that, at least you know [as a potential trade suitor] what he can do on the field. It takes some of the risk out of an evaluation."

In addition, trading Thomas now would create $31.8 million in dead cap space ($9.1 million in 2021 and $22.7 million in 2022) for the Saints, per Spotrac.

So there are a lot of variables that make an imminent trade unlikely. Perhaps if Thomas is back in action before the Nov. 2 trade deadline and tensions with the Saints haven't eased then a contender may be willing to step up with a significant offer to bolster its Super Bowl hopes.

In the meantime, New Orleans will hope the star wideout doesn't miss too many contests as it tries to complete a quarterback transition from Drew Brees to either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill—a task far easier with a true No. 1 target like Thomas available.

The Saints kick off the regular season Sept. 12 when they host the Green Bay Packers.

The New Orleans Saints will be able to return to full capacity this season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but state and city rules will limit who is permitted to attend games at the Superdome. 

Per a statement from the team, "As required by the City of New Orleans, fans will simply need to show their vaccination card or verified digital proof of vaccination (LA Wallet or other official government sanctioned app) or negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within the prior 72 hours to attend games."

The Saints added that they will have a mask mandate within the Caesars Superdome:

"We are committed to doing everything we can in the current environment to protect your health and safety while at the same time providing the best game day experience in the NFL," the team added in its statement. 

To this point, it is believed the Saints are the only NFL team requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test to attend games, though as the Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, more teams could potentially adopt similar mandates.

"We are not limiting capacity," New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell told reporters Thursday. "We've got to get our people vaccinated."

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy added:

As we did last year, the league and clubs will continue to follow the latest guidance from local, state and federal public health authorities, including the CDC, with whom we are in regular contact. We are planning on full stadiums across the league this year but will remain flexible and adaptable as necessary. Like last season, there may be different fan experiences depending on the current situation in the local markets working in conjunction with public health authorities.

As for the NFL's players, 92 percent have either been fully vaccinated or had one of the shots, per Jarrett Bell of USA Today. Fifteen of the NFL's 32 teams have reached a 95 percent vaccination mark.