Saints QB battle: Has Jameis Winston done enough to be a starter over Taysom Hill?
Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill have massive shoes to fill during the 2021 season after the announcement of Drew Brees' retirement. When the Saints re-signed Jameis Winston this offseason, fans expected a lot from him. Taysom Hill has remained right behind Winston but still has a shot at landing the starting quarterback job.
As the Saints enter their preseason finale, Sean Payton is still unsure who his starting quarterback will be in Week 1. Jameis Winston's Week 2 performance has many fans wondering if he's done enough to earn the starting job.
What does Jameis Winston need to do to earn the starting QB job?
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has a tough decision to make regarding his quarterback decision. Jameis Winston holds the lead in passing touchdowns (3), while Taysom Hill is still searching for his first touchdown. Winston and Hill both passed for 219 yards.
If Jameis Winston can come into the preseason finale and put on another positive outing, Sean Payton could give him the nod as the starter. The improvements that Winston has made over the last season are remarkable. Winston absorbed everything he could during his time backing up Drew Brees.
If the regular season were to start tomorrow, Jameis Winston would be the starting quarterback. Taysom Hill will need to put on a performance that trumps the two starts that Winston has had this preseason. NFL fans wrote off Winston after his 30 touchdown-30 interception season with Tampa Bay.
New Orleans needs a quarterback that has experience starting in the NFL. Unfortunately, Taysom Hill doesn't have as much experience as Jameis Winston in that category. If the Saints want to win football games, Jameis is their guy as the starting quarterback.
Winston is the better passer and has enough athletic talent to be a threat on the ground. Sean Payton is an offensive guru and will still find ways to implement Taysom Hill into his offense.
If Winston is named the starting quarterback, New Orleans will likely run their offense the way they did with Brees at quarterback. The only difference is that Payton can open up the Saints playbook with more designed runs for Winston.