New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints will have to forfeit a pick in the 2022 NFL draft after COVID-19 violations during the 2020 season.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the NFL announced that the Saints will surrender a 2022 sixth-round pick in addition to paying a $700,000 fine.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Rapoport, the Saints violated COVID-19 protocols on three separate occasions during the 2020 campaign.

Saints head coach Sean Payton did not properly wear his face covering in Week 2, resulting in a $250,000 fine for the team and a $100,000 fine for Payton, and the team had a maskless celebration following a Week 9 win, leading to a $500,000 fine.

The third violation saw a person who was COVID-19 positive and not employed by the team enter the team facility and infect running back Alvin Kamara. The interaction was captured on video.

As a result, Kamara and essentially the entire Saints running back group had to miss the team's Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers.

It was also originally announced that the Saints had been docked a 2021 seventh-round pick because of their second violation, but the NFL later rescinded that penalty.

Instead, the Saints will be short a draft pick in the 2022 NFL draft because of repeated violations.

While multiple teams were fined for COVID-19 protocol violations during the 2020 season, the Saints are the only team that has been forced to forfeit a draft pick thus far.

Drew Brees released an emotional video Wednesday in which he thanked the city of New Orleans, New Orleans Saints fans, the Saints organization, head coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis, his parents, his wife Brittany Brees, and his children.

The video was titled "From Drew, With Love" and notably told the fans in New Orleans, "I will spend the rest of my life attempting to give back to you what you have given to me."

While Brees started his career with the San Diego Chargers, he became synonymous with the city of New Orleans while playing there from 2006-20.

He was a 12-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion in that span who led the league in passing seven times. Yet, as is clear in the video, his connection with the city went beyond his accomplishments on the field.

Brees still has an emotional connection to the Saints and will forever be remembered as a franchise icon even after his retirement.

The New Orleans Saints appear comfortable heading into the 2021 season with Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill as their top options to replace Drew Brees at quarterback.

Head coach Sean Payton told Dan Patrick on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday that "there are a few things that may still be out there, but I see those two competing" to be the starter.

On Sunday, Brees announced his retirement after 20 seasons, including the last 15 with the Saints.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Monday that Winston was re-signing, and ESPN's Adam Schefter added the deal has a maximum value of $12 million.

Hill received an extension from the Saints, though the move was more about creating cap space than anything else. Schefter reported the pact is worth $140 million over four years but that "all years are voidable and it's a mechanism to free up cap space this year."

Even though Payton gave Hill the keys to the offense last season during the four games Brees missed with a rib injury, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Winston would "likely" be the starter.

The 30-year-old Hill went 3-1 as a starter and in 16 games completed 72.7 percent of his passes for 928 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 457 yards and eight touchdowns on 87 carries.

Winston, who joined the Saints last year after spending five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, attempted 11 passes in four games. He did throw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith in an NFC divisional round loss to the Buccaneers.

As a member of the Bucs in 2019, Winston led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards. He also became the first quarterback in history to throw 30 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions in the same season.

The Saints have won four consecutive NFC South titles.

Someone besides Drew Brees will be the full-time starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints for the first time since the 2005 season.

The only question is who will win the job.

New Orleans may have provided something of a hint Monday when it re-signed Jameis Winston to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Brees had announced his retirement Sunday from a legendary career.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Winston is the "likely starter," so here is a look at the expected quarterback depth chart:

• 1st: Jameis Winston
• 2nd: Taysom Hill
• 3rd: Trevor Siemian

The Saints also made headlines when it came to Hill, as Schefter reported Sunday the NFC South team restructured his deal with a four-year, $140 million extension. The catch is all the years are voidable; it was done to free up much-needed cap space.

That means the starting job—barring something drastic like a Russell Wilson trade—will come down to Winston and Hill.

Winston would give the Saints more options since Hill is more of a weapon who can make throws downfield, run the ball or feature on trick plays.

He finished the 2020 campaign with a career-high 928 passing yards (72.7 percent passing on 121 attempts with four touchdowns and two interceptions), 457 rushing yards, 98 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, underscoring his versatility and importance to the offense.

Winston also has more potential as a pure passer. After all, the Florida State product led the league with 5,109 passing yards as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019 and has three seasons with more than 4,000 passing yards on his resume.

He led the league with 30 interceptions in 2019 as well, so taking care of the ball will be critical if he is going to hang on to the starting job.

Jameis Winston is off the loaded board of free-agent quarterbacks, reportedly returning to the New Orleans Saints on a one-year, $12 million deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.   

The move came a day after Drew Brees announced his retirement, leaving Taysom Hill as the only rostered quarterback in New Orleans.

While it remains to be seen what sort of offense the Saints will go with in 2021—whether it will be up to Winston to find another of his 4,000-passing yard seasons or if Hill will bring his dual-threat ability back to the line of scrimmage—their salary-cap situation is beginning to take shape. 

At one point, the Saints were nearly $100 million over the projected salary-cap floor, per Luke Johnson of NOLA.com. In myriad ways, they've been able to claw that number down to a much more manageable $10 million by late Monday, per Over the Cap, though that was before Winston's deal was added. 

Among the moves made by the Saints was a restructured deal for Hill, who would have counted for $16.1 million against the cap (h/t Katherine Terrell of The Athletic). Instead, his base salary was made into a signing bonus, and he tacked four voidable years onto his deal, essentially creating an extension. Now, he's worth just $7.5 million against the cap in 2021. 

Multiple other deals were reworked, saving the Saints a total of $45 million via contract restructures, according to Terrell. 

Other players were also cut, including linebacker Kwon Alexander, in a move that saved the team $13.2 million. 

The Saints still have some work to do, but they're much closer than they were to being under the salary cap than they were back in February.

The partnership between Jameis Winston and the New Orleans Saints will continue after the two sides agreed to a one-year deal on Monday.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the one-year deal has a base value of $5.5 million. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the contract could max out at $12 million. 

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium was the first to report the deal.

After the news broke, Winston sent a message to Saints fans on Twitter:

This comes after Drew Brees announced his retirement.

Winston spent last season with the Saints after signing a one-year deal worth $1.1 million. He was used sparingly as the No. 3 quarterback behind Brees and Taysom Hill in head coach Sean Payton's system. 

When Brees went down with fractured ribs and a punctured lung in the second half of New Orleans' Week 10 game against the San Francisco 49ers, Winston finished the game as the team's quarterback. He went 6-of-10 for 63 yards in a 27-13 win. 

Payton turned to Hill as the starting quarterback until Brees was able to return. Winston did have one highlight-reel moment for the Saints in their divisional-round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was used on a trick play in which he took a reverse behind the line of scrimmage, then hit Tre'Quan Smith for a 56-yard touchdown pass. 

Winston has been an inconsistent player throughout his NFL career, but the highs can be spectacular when everything is working. He threw for over 4,000 yards in three of his five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including a league-high 5,109 yards in 2019. 

Of course, the Florida State product also led the NFL with 30 interceptions during the 2019 campaign. He's turned the ball over 111 times (88 interceptions, 23 lost fumbles) in 76 career games. 

Until Winston proves himself capable of protecting the ball, he will likely have to continue at least battling for the starting spot. He showed in last year's playoff game with the Saints that he can make plays if the system is designed to help him. 

It will be up to Payton to figure out the best way to maximize Winston's ability in 2021. 

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill congratulated Drew Brees on his retirement and thanked him for his mentorship over the past four seasons.

Hill posted a statement on Instagram on Monday, one day after Brees announced he was stepping away from the NFL following a 20-year career:

"Congratulations to one of the best football players I have ever been able to witness play this great game. It has been one of the highlights of my career being able to observe and watch you play. Thank you for showing me what it takes to be a great player in this league. But more importantly, thank you for showing me how to be a good husband and father. I will be forever grateful for the mentor and friend you have been to me."

For now, the 30-year-old BYU product is penciled in as the Saints' new starting quarterback with Jameis Winston, last year's backup, set to become an unrestricted free agent and Trevor Siemian being the only other quarterback currently on the roster for 2021.

ESPN's Dianna Russini reported New Orleans is trying to bring back Winston, who would then compete with Hill for the starting job in training camp.

Hill was given a four-start audition while Brees was injured last season, and he played well. He completed 71.9 percent of his throws for 834 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 209 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.

The Idaho native, who typically filled a multifaceted playmaker role within the Saints lineup when Brees was healthy, has long stated his desire to play quarterback full time.

"Coach [Sean Payton] and I have had, we've had a few conversations about that," Hill told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk in December. "And I have said that. He knows how I feel about how I can play and I know how he feels about me, too."

Hill reworked his contract Sunday with every NFL's front office new favorite tool, voidable years, with a four-year, $140 million contract extension that actually provided him with no new money or years on his deal, per ESPN's Mike Triplett.

It was merely a mechanism to save $7.7 million against the cap, and coincidentally, that money could now be used to help bring Winston back into the fold.

All told, Brees' retirement will make the Saints' quarterback battle one of the most intriguing storylines throughout the preseason. Hill patiently waited for his opportunity to take over the top spot on the depth chart and could explore his options as a free agent next offseason if Winston wins the job instead.

Hill will look to use all the information he gleaned from Brees over the past four years to his advantage once camp gets underway.

The New Orleans Saints aren't planning on acquiring Russell Wilson, but they'd reportedly "love" to get the chance if the Seattle Seahawks decide to move on from their franchise quarterback.

"If you're the New Orleans Saints, even though, yes, you'd love to make a deal for Russell Wilson, you can't sit there and count on that happening," ESPN's Adam Schefter said Monday on Get Up (around the 3:40 mark). "If that happens to materialize ... then New Orleans would love that, and it would make the plans at that point in time. But it can't head into the offseason that begins this week really and say 'Well, we're in the thick of it for Russell Wilson.' Everybody is hopeful on the outside that they can land Russell Wilson, but nobody's counting on landing Russell Wilson."

The relationship between Wilson and the Seahawks is currently frayed over a number of issues, notably the team's lack of urgency surrounding him with top-flight talent on the offensive line. Wilson's agent told Schefter his client would be open to trades to the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears and Saints. 

Amid rumors of Wilson's displeasure with the franchise, the quarterback went public with some of his gripes in February. 

"Like any player, you never want to get hit," Wilson told reporters. "That's the reality of playing this position; ask any quarterback who wants to play this game. But at the same time, it's part of the job and everything else. I think that the reality is that I've definitely been hit. I've been sacked almost 400 times, so we've got to get better. I've got to find ways to get better too."

Wilson also said he doesn't feel he's consulted on personnel moves in the same way as other superstars like Tom Brady or LeBron James. 

Michael-Shawn Dugar, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks of The Athletic reported the tension comes from a battle for "power and control" between Wilson and coach Pete Carroll. The quarterback feels he's earned the right to have a say in changes to the offense, specifically ones that better protect him.

Carroll has long preferred to use the ground game to control the clock, with passing meant to create big plays over the top. While the partnership has been fruitful, it's clear there is at least a decent chance one of them exits the franchise amid the power struggle sooner rather than later.

The Saints will likely look internally in their attempt to replace Drew Brees. Taysom Hill remains on the roster—and received a strange, cap loophole of an extension Sunday—and the team remains in negotiations to retain Jameis Winston.

Given New Orleans' cap constraints, it may be better if the Seahawks wait a year or so before trading Wilson.

After announcing his retirement from the NFL on Sunday, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will now join NBC Sports as a football analyst. 

"I'm part of the team now, a new team," Brees told Today. "I'm excited about that journey. I'm excited to stay very closely connected with the game of football; it's been such an important part of my life."

Brees will work in the studio for Football Night in America covering the NFL and provide coverage for Notre Dame football. He's also expected to provide coverage for the Super Bowl and Olympics hosted on NBC.

"We're excited to have Drew join our team," NBC Sports Group chairman Pete Bevacqua said. "We know that Drew will apply the same work ethic and continuously positive attitude to everything he touches at NBC Sports and we know, as his new teammates, he'll make us better."

Brees, 42, retired after 20 years in the NFL with the Chargers and Saints and will be surely inducted into the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible. He is the league's all-time leader with 80,358 passing yards and ranks second with 571 passing touchdowns.

He has one Super Bowl title, 13 Pro Bowl selections and was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2006. The former Purdue star also twice finished in the top five of voting for the Heisman Trophy during his college career.

While his playing days are now over, Brees wrote: "I am only retiring from playing football. I am not retiring from New Orleans. This is not goodbye, rather a new beginning. Now my real life's work begins!"

Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison and Chris Simms currently provide studio analysis for Football Night in America on NBC.

Drew Brees wrote a thank you letter to the city of New Orleans, the Saints organization and several others Monday in a column that appeared in the Times-Picayune:

"From the moment I stepped foot into the city of New Orleans, I could feel your spirit. You told me that if I loved New Orleans, you would love me back. No truer words have ever been spoken. You embraced me as your QB, and my family as your own. You made me strive to be the best I could be for you. When I was knocked down, you picked me up. It was your passion, emotion, and resilience that made us all believe. I will spend the rest of my life attempting to give back to you what you have given to me. My family and I will always love you."

Brees, 42, announced his retirement Sunday after 20 NFL seasons, the last 15 of which he spent in New Orleans. The 13-time Pro Bowler retired as the all-time leader in passing yards (80,358) and is second behind Tom Brady on the all-time touchdown passes list (571). Brees is responsible for four of the six highest single-season passing yardage totals in NFL history. He also won Super Bowl XLIV and Super Bowl MVP.

Brees thanked coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis for helping him reach those heights over his tenure in New Orleans:

"Thank you for building a culture where we could experience this type of love and commitment. It is not common, but rather very unique and very special. For 15 years, our relationship grew past that of player/coach and player/GM. I've watched your children grow, and you've watched mine. We have struggled, laughed, cried, and celebrated together. Your trust and belief gave me great confidence and brought out my absolute best.

"Mickey, I will miss our conversations about our kids' upcoming flag football opponent.

"Sean, I will miss our dot meetings and seeing if the spoon will stand up in your chocolate milkshake. No ice!"

Brees leaves a lasting legacy that includes helping rebuild the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005; there are few athletes on the planet who have a deeper connection with the city where they played. He also helped turn around a franchise that was formerly known for decades for its incompetence, making it a premier destination for top free agents and those looking to turn around their careers.

Brees leaves the game as perhaps the most important athlete in New Orleans sports history and a no-doubt future Hall of Famer.