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Jameis Winston’s season-ending knee injury has prompted a lot of speculation that the New Orleans Saints could add another passer, but Saints coach Sean Payton isn’t interested in discussing any potential new additions.
“We’re satisfied with our quarterback room,” Payton responded during Monday’s media availability session when asked if the Saints could explore their options.
It makes sense for Payton to keep his cards close to his vest, but there’s a very real chance he’s being sincere. Trevor Siemian didn’t do a terrible job after being rushed into action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Payton could choose to continue riding with him.
Getting Siemian up to speed with Taysom Hill and Michael Thomas returning from injuries over the next few weeks might be a viable strategy the way the Saints defense has been playing. The Saints can lean on Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram behind a strong offensive line and protect Siemian from getting into too many must-win situations.
There’s been a lot of hand-wringing over whether losing Winston crushes the Saints’ playoff chances, but let’s be real for a second: the Saints had an NFL-worst passing attack with him at the helm. He was improving, and there’s little he could do with a talent-poor receiving corps, but that could be true of anyone. The Saints offense ranks 31st in passing yards per game (180.9) and 28th in yards per play (5.0).
They probably can’t be less productive with Siemian under center than they were with Winston. He may not share Winston’s sky-high ceiling but they probably have a similarly low floor. And we’ve seen enough so far to believe that’s still enough for them to win 10 or 11 games this year and reach the playoffs.
Still, you’d like to think the Saints are open to bringing in another passer. They’ve kept four on the roster for a while now and it would make sense to at least add a free agent like J.T. Barrett to the practice squad. If a higher-end replacement isn’t available, they should still work on improving their depth until they’re ready to put Ian Book into a game, just like at any other position.
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