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The New Orleans Saints still await the decision of quarterback Drew Brees, who could retire after his 20th NFL season. If Brees decides not to come back for another season with the Saints, head coach Sean Payton is confident that his likely successor is already with the team.
In an interview on NFL Network, Payton said the Saints want Jameis Winston to return to the team next season. Winston signed a one-year deal with New Orleans last April after spending his first five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
#Saints coach Sean Payton makes clear the team wants Jameis Winston back. They didn’t call on new #Rams QB Matthew Stafford, another potential vote of confidence for his current QBs. https://t.co/0t5jLoKcFn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 3, 2021
The 27-year-old saw limited time for the Saints, playing in just four games. During his time on the football field, Winston completed 7-of-11 passes for 75 yards. Even though he didn’t play extensively for New Orleans, Payton still had nothing but praise for the first overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. Before joining the Saints, Winston was the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback, completing 61.3% of his passes for 19,737 yards with 121 touchdowns and 88 interceptions.
Aside from Winston, Payton also spoke positively of the Saints’ other quarterback, Taysom Hill, who started in eight games while Brees was sidelined with a rib injury. In fact, Payton was so confident of the Saints’ current signal-callers they didn’t call the Detroit Lions for a potential deal involving Matthew Stafford, who ended up being traded to the Los Angeles Rams.
Brees’ decision to either retire or return is still up in the air. But Payton, who has an 8-1 record in the last two years with backup quarterbacks, feels confident Winston and Hill can take over if Brees decides to end his storied NFL career.
