NFL: Predicting the week one starting quarterback for all 32 teams
By Kyle Edmond
New Orleans Saints: Jameis Winston
The New Orleans Saints are in the midst of a massive transition period. The first straw was Drew Brees retiring. Now this year they lose Sean Payton. Throw on top not having Michael Thomas this season and this Saints team looked much different than what we’re used to seeing from this team.
One bright spot was the resurgence of Jameis Winston. He only played seven games for the team, but there was clear improvement. In games that Winston played in, the Saints were 5-2. In games that Winston didn’t appear in, New Orleans was 4-6.
Besides the record difference, Winston’s stats show his effectiveness this past season. He cut down his interceptions drastically, throwing just three while tallying 14 touchdowns over his two games. The one downside was that his competition percentage was the lowest since his rookie season.
Winston is set to become a free agent this offseason and what happens under center in New Orleans will depend on how Dennis Allen works this staff. Does he hire new people or keep what Payton had? If the match works for Winston, he should be a shoe-in to return. However, it seems like Winston played well enough to earn at least another season with the Saints regardless of the staff unless there’s a dark horse quarterback interested in New Orleans.