Saints sign free agent QB K.J. Costello with Jameis Winston on the mend
Saints are signing KJ Costello, per source
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) August 10, 2022
Short-handed at quarterback with Jameis Winston on the mend and Taysom Hill lining up at tight end, NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the New Orleans Saints are signing free agent quarterback K.J. Costello. It makes sense to bring in a third passer for training camp so that backups Andy Dalton and Ian Book aren’t overworked. Having another arm in camp should help drills run more smoothly and keep everyone on task.
And the decision to bring in a journeyman like Costello as opposed to a bigger name like Jimmy Garoppolo or Jordan Love supports head coach Dennis Allen’s public downplaying of Winston’s injury. If he were going to miss an extended amount of time, the Saints likely aim higher. Instead they’re bringing in a low-cost backup to bridge the gap until Winston’s return.
Costello, 25, played college ball at Stanford and Mississippi State — memorably dropping an astounding 623 yards on the defending-champion LSU Tigers back in 2020 (which set an SEC record for single-game passing yards). He also owns Stanford’s single-season passing record, having surpassed both Andrew Luck and John Elway in the school history books. Since turning pro, Costello has spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers and the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars, and was briefly with the Saints earlier this summer during a tryout at rookie minicamp.
