Jameis Winston starts the second half for Saints vs. 49ers

New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Jameis Winston started the second half against the San Francisco 49ers instead of Drew Brees.

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The New Orleans Saints received the opening kickoff of the second half, and they started the possession with a new quarterback under center: Jameis Winston, not Drew Brees. Brees had been limited on the injury report in recent weeks with a right shoulder issue, his throwing shoulder, and he was spotted spending extra time warming it up before the game started.

A big sack by 49ers defensive lineman Kentavius Street appeared to aggravate the issue, and the Saints later announced that Brees is questionable to return with a rib injury..

For his part, Winston stepped in to lead the huddle, though the Saints quickly punted after three plays. Taysom Hill stepped in for a third down run, replacing Winston, but confusion the personnel package forced the Saints to take a timeout and regroup. Hill’s run was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, prompting a punt. Winston completed his lone pass attempt for an 11-yard gain.

When Winston and Hill returned to the bench, they sat apart from Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. while reviewing plays on a Microsoft Surface tablet. Brees was separate a few spots down with his own tablet and wearing a baseball cap, not his helmet.