Sophomore quarterback Ian Book finally found his footing on Friday night as the New Orleans Saints faced off against the Los Angeles Chargers for the final preseason game.
Book had one of his most efficient games as a passer in New Orleans, as he finished 11-of-15 for 81 yards and a touchdown. He also finished as the teams leading rusher with 50 yards. It was the first preseason game this season where Book was able to escape without a turnover.
The performance may be too late to make too much of a difference as it is unlikely that the Saints will keep him on the 53-man roster to start the season. With Andy Dalton as a backup and Taysom Hill still on the roster being available as an emergency quarterback, they don’t have a real need to keep three quarterbacks every week when they could use that roster spot to bolster the depth somewhere else.
It is likely, however, that Book is kept around on the practice squad. The team experimented with bringing in K.J. Costello, but he never saw any action. The team clearly somewhat trusts the development of Book, and I don’t expect them to just cut ties completely. I do, however, expect the team to draft another depth quarterback during next years class to get another body in the room. Book was Sean Payton’s pick at quarterback, and his struggles without his biggest advocate in the building should be enough to convince the team to turn the page.
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