New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that the Saints have interest in re-signing quarterback Jameis Winston. 

Payton discussed Winston as part of a wide-ranging conversation on NFL Network's Good Morning Football:

Per GMFB's Peter Schrager, Payton said: "We had enough time to see what we had with Jameis Winston as a leader. He was tremendous with this team, and that's hard to do new with free agency when you come in as a backup. He is a free agent. But Jameis is a guy we have a tremendous interest in."

After spending the first five years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston served as Drew Brees' backup in New Orleans in 2020.

Winston was the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, and while he showed flashes of big-time potential in Tampa, he was far too inconsistent.

The 2019 season was a microcosm of his NFL career, as he led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards and threw a career-high 33 touchdown passes but also led the NFL with 30 interceptions. That tied him for the seventh-most interceptions in a single season in NFL history and the most since Vinny Testaverde threw 35 in 1988.

As a result, Tampa decided to move on from Winston and sign Tom Brady, which is a decision that paid dividends, as the Buccaneers will play in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

With no starting jobs available to Winston, he signed a one-year deal to sit and learn behind one of the all-time great NFL quarterbacks in Brees.

Winston, 27, attempted just 11 passes during the 2020 regular season, throwing for 75 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. In the NFC divisional round of the playoffs against his former team, Winston threw a 56-yard touchdown pass on a trick play, however.

While it seemed that Winston would serve as the primary backup to Brees in 2020, it was Taysom Hill who started four games during the regular season when Brees landed on the shelf with broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

That may have been a case of the Saints wanting to see if Hill had what it took to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. The jury may still be out on that front, and the Saints having intertest in bringing back Winston could be a sign that they don't view Hill as a QB1.

While Brees has yet to make an official announcement regarding his status, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that he has likely played his final game.

Given the lack of viable options that will be available in free agency or to the Saints in the draft with the No. 28 overall pick, it will likely come down to Winston or Hill as their starter under center in 2021.

There are still questions about Winston's consistency and whether he can cut down on the turnovers over the course of a full season as a starter, but given his talent level and the success of Payton's offensive system, it could turn out to be a fine fit.

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly set to hire Kris Richard as their new secondary coach.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the former Dallas Cowboys assistant and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator will be joining Sean Payton's staff. Aaron Glenn, the Saints' former defensive backs coach, will be the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator under former New Orleans assistant Dan Campbell.  

Richard, 42, was out of football during the 2020 season after Dallas chose not to retain him when it fired head coach Jason Garrett. He served as the team's defensive play-caller in 2018 and 2019 after a three-year stint as the Seahawks defensive coordinator.

The former NFL defensive back began his coaching career under Pete Carroll at USC before joining the Seahawks head coach in Seattle and moving his way up the coaching ranks.

Despite not latching on with a new team in 2020, Richard discussed defensive coordinator openings with the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders. 

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said the team's front office will wait for Drew Brees' final retirement decision before making its quarterback plans for 2021.

"I don't think it's a lot different from last year," Loomis told reporters Wednesday. "We'll wait for him."

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported before the Saints' divisional-round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that Brees was going to retire when their playoff run ended.

The 42-year-old Texas native wasn't prepared to make an announcement after the Bucs game.

"I'm going to give myself an opportunity to think about the season, just like I did last season, and make a decision," Brees told reporters, saying he didn't want to elaborate on the factors involved. "I'm going to keep that to myself right now."

The two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year remained productive when healthy in 2020. He completed 70.5 percent of his throws for 2,942 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 regular-season appearances.

He missed four games after suffering broken ribs and a collapsed lung, however, and he struggled against Tampa Bay with three interceptions in the Saints' season-ending loss.

Brees, who guided New Orleans to the Super Bowl XLIV title, has built a Hall of Fame resume, and he's already got his post-playing plans set after signing a contract to become a broadcaster with NBC Sports, per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

The Purdue product does have one season left on his two-year, $50 million contract if he decides to play in 2021.

If Brees does enter retirement, Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian would be the only quarterbacks under contract for New Orleans heading into the offseason.

Hill showed promise after taking over the offense during Brees' injury absence. He completed 88 of his 121 attempts (72.7 percent) for 928 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. The multifaceted playmaker added 457 rushing yards and eight scores while playing in all 16 games.

It's unclear whether the Saints would feel comfortable heading into next season with Hill as their unquestioned starter at QB or if they'd want to create competition at the position via free agency or the draft.

Brees didn't provide a timetable for when he'll announce his decision.

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly "intrigued by a potential re-signing" of veteran quarterback Jameis Winston amid the uncertainty surrounding Drew Brees' future, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler added that "Taysom Hill's $16 million cap hit is a drain if he's not the starter. New Orleans can win with either option, but questions would persist."

The Saints weren't intrigued enough with Winston to start him over Hill when Brees was injured this season, however. Hill went 3-1 as the starter and in total threw for 928 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions in 16 games, completing 72.7 percent of his passes. 

He additionally rushed for 457 yards and eight scores and caught eight passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. 

Hill didn't play poorly as the starter, though his wins came against the Atlanta Falcons (twice) and the Denver Broncos, teams that combined to post a 9-23 record. The Saints also lost his start against the 4-11-1 Philadelphia Eagles. It's fair to question Hill's ability to lead a team as a full-time starter, though his $16.1 million cap hit for next season makes it likely he'll play some role for the team. 

Winston, 27, spent his first five seasons as the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an inconsistent run that saw him throw for 19,737 yards, 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions while completing 61.3 percent of his passes. 

His ups and downs were on full display in 2019, when he threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns under head coach Bruce Arians but also threw 30 interceptions while taking 47 sacks. The Bucs went from 7-9 with Winston, missing the playoffs, to 11-5 this season and a berth in the Super Bowl behind Tom Brady.

There's a strong argument to be made that acquiring an outside option, like perhaps Matt Stafford in a trade, would be a better option for a talented veteran team like the Saints. They'd have some cap space issues to resolve in such a scenario—and would assuredly need to part with at least a first-round pick—but if the Saints are truly in "Super Bowl or bust" mode, well, they need to upgrade over Hill and Winston. 

There's no love lost between Michael Thomas and Carlton Davis.

The New Orleans Saints wideout took aim at Davis on Sunday after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback was beat over the top for a 50-yard touchdown by Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the NFC Championship Game. Thomas appeared to hit his own quarterback, Drew Brees, with some shrapnel while trash-talking Davis as well:

After the Buccaneers held on for a 31-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers to advance to the Super Bowl on Sunday, Davis had a message for Thomas:

Here was the touchdown against Davis that started this back-and-forth:

Thomas didn't register a single catch against the Buccaneers during the NFC Divisional Round matchup between the teams, and after the game, Davis let him know about it:

Even when they're not going head-to-head on the field, the rivalry in the NFC South runs strong.

When the 2021 season commences, it will likely be the first time since 2005 that Drew Brees isn't the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. With Brees reportedly retiring, the major question mark going forward is who will take his place in New Orleans: Taysom Hill, Jameis Winston or an outside option?

Head coach Sean Payton talked about the position with reporters Thursday:   

"We have a really good room. I'm excited about Jameis Winston. I'm excited about Taysom Hill. Those are guys that we've had a chance, obviously, to see for a period of time—maybe not as much time with Jameis. I think that we'll handle it accordingly. That position is important. It's vital. That's why we’ve paid attention to an offseason signing like Jameis, or paid attention to keeping Taysom here."

While Brees hasn't announced his retirement plans, he also didn't put the talk to bed over the weekend when the Saints were eliminated from the postseason by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I'm gonna give myself an opportunity to think about the season, think about a lot of things, just like I did last year, and make a decision," he told reporters. 

Hill, 30, would seemingly have the inside track to earn the starter's job if Brees indeed retires. For one, he's under contract for next season, while Winston is a free agent. He also stepped into the starting lineup when Brees was injured this season, going 3-1 in those games. 

In total, Hill finished this season with 928 passing yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions and a 72.7 completion percentage, 457 rushing yards for eight touchdowns and eight receptions for 98 yards and a score. 

Winston, 27, appeared in four games, throwing for 75 yards. He was coming off an erratic 2019 season for the Bucs that saw him throw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns on a whopping 626 attempts, but he also tossed 30 interceptions and took 47 sacks. 

Winston, the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, has flashed talent throughout his career, though that talent has often been marred by inconsistency. He'll hit free agency as an intriguing option for teams looking to add a veteran backup, though New Orleans may offer him the chance to win a starting job. 

Regardless, a change appears to be on the horizon for the Saints with Brees' future up in the air.

"We knew there was a chance at some point in time where we'll be dealing with a transition," Payton told reporters. "We're going to try to be as prepared as we can when that time comes."

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees played the 2020 season with multiple injuries, according to an Instagram post from his wife, Brittany.

Those ailments included a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder, a torn fascia in his foot, 11 broken ribs and a collapsed lung. 

Brees, 42, previously missed five weeks this season due to his rib and lung injuries. In the meantime, Taysom Hill took over as the Saints' starter until Brees was healthy enough to run back out onto the field. 

The veteran went 9-3 in 12 starts this year while passing for 2,942 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. 

Despite having Hill and Jameis Winston behind him on the depth chart, Brees was able to hold onto his job and lead the Saints to an NFC South title before falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round. It's unclear if that will ultimately become the final NFL game of his career. 

If so, he gutted it out through injuries that may have kept him off the field for longer at a different point in his career. 

The 13-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl champion gave his team all he had and then some.