2021 free agents: Saints, Sean Payton have ‘big interest’ in Jameis Winston
The storyline commanding the New Orleans Saints offseason is what happens next at quarterback. Drew Brees has been reticent in sharing his thoughts on retirement, though reports suggest he’s already thrown his last pass in the NFL. When he was asked about what he expects to develop — and who to be under center — Saints coach Sean Payton spoke highly of his options during an interview on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
“That’s easy,” Payton replied. “We had a great exposure, for one year, with Jameis Winston. We didn’t have a normal offseason, but we had enough time to see what we had with him as a player, as a leader, as an athlete. I really like what we had a chance to see.”
Payton added that Winston’s leadership traits stood out for him, which is unusual to see from a player in his first year with a new team as a free agent — much less as a backup. The smooth transition was encouraging to see, and it’s something that weighs heavily in their evaluation before approaching the next free agency cycle.
But he’s not interested in playing coy here. Payton stumped for Winston to return to New Orleans in 2021, saying: “A lot of times you want to hold your cards close to the vest, and [Winston] is a free agent. but him along with Taysom Hill, who is in the building, we’ve said it all along: we’re going to develop and coach those guys and Jameis is one of those guys we have a big interest in.”
It’s as strong an endorsement as you can expect to see from a coach about a free agent at this stage in the offseason. Brees, Hill, and practice squad holdover Trevor Siemian are the passers currently under contract for 2021, but it’s clear as day that Payton wants Winston back in the mix.
The most plausible scenario — flying in the face of mock drafts and blockbuster trade ideas — has always felt like a training camp battle between Hill and Winston to start after Brees retires to the NBC Sports broadcasting booth. A lot has to happen before that materializes, but these comments from Payton sure make that feel possible.
