When Dennis Allen was introduced early this month as the Saints’ next head coach, he said the quarterback situation was something he had to get figured out. With free agency approaching, that remains the case.
The Saints opened last season with Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback and went 5-2 in the games he started. But when Winston was lost for the season with a torn ACL, they turned to Taysom Hill for five starts (going 4-1), Trevor Siemian for four starts (going 0-4) and Ian Book for one start (an ugly loss).
Winston is set to become a free agent, and Jim Trotter reported on NFL Network that the Saints have either already started talking contract with Winston or will start negotiating with him soon.
It’s unclear whether Winston will be healthy enough to play in Week One, and the Saints may figure that if Winston won’t be ready to go, it would make more sense to stick with Hill. The Saints may also look to a trade, the draft or free agency for a quarterback, although there aren’t any rookies in this year’s draft class who figure to be Day One starters, and the Saints’ cap situation may preclude an expensive veteran.
Add it all up, and the reality is that Allen has a big job ahead of him, figuring out who his quarterback will be in his first year as the Saints’ head coach.