The New Orleans Saints are headed for an offseason of uncertainty at quarterback. Even if Drew Brees returns for one more year as the face of the franchise, it’s no guarantee that his backup and heir apparent will follow him. Teddy Bridgewater deserves the opportunity to start next season, and there’s several teams who could offer that to him.
And as for Taysom Hill: his most exciting plays haven’t happened at quarterback. He’s become an effective receiving threat and runner in short-yardage situations, but his future shouldn’t include much more passing. He’ll turn 30 later this year and should continue to focus on where he’s most gifted, while he still has the athleticism to overwhelm defenders. He’s a restricted free agent, and it’s possible (but unlikely) he joins a new team, too.
But let’s say that Brees and Hill return, while Bridgewater gets the starting nod in another city. There are options the Saints could consider in free agency, and that’s normally been their strategy — plugging holes with veteran players so that the draft is wide-open. Still, maybe this year quarterback is more of a draft priority than something to target with free agents. Here are five names to watch (and no, a trade up for Joe Burrow isn’t even worth considering).