Sean Payton has never had a full-time starting quarterback not named Drew Brees in his 15 seasons as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. That's all about to change in 2021 as Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston will be battling for the starting quarterback job, the apparent successor to Brees.
If Hill does beat out Winston and wins the starting job, he's not trying to emulate Brees. Making his own impression on the Saints franchise is the strategy.
"I think the thing that I realize first and foremost is there is no replacing a Drew Brees," Hill told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Advocate. "He's one of the greatest to ever do it, but I think as I got ready to enter the NFL, my goal and my mindset was to just do everything I can to have an opportunity to be a guy -- because there are only 32 starters in the NFL.
"So as I look forward into this year and training camp and OTAs and the season, I'm really just excited about having that opportunity. That has been the goal and the mindset since I was a rookie in 2017 first entering the NFL. So it's definitely something that I'm not taking lightly and I'm going to give it everything I've got."
Craving even more NFL coverage focusing on previews, recaps, news and analysis? Listen below and follow the Pick Six podcast for a daily dose of everything you need to follow pro football.
The Saints are not asking Hill to replace Brees, either, especially since Brees had the highest passer rating for a quarterback over the last three seasons. Hill held his own filling in for Brees in his small sample size of starts last season, as he completed 71.9% of his passes for 834 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing 39 times for 209 yards (5.36 yards per carry) with four touchdowns in four games. Hill recorded a 96.9 passer rating in his four starts as the Saints went 3-1 during that stretch.
If the Saints decide to go with Hill, he has the experience necessary to run the offense. Can Hill play at that level through a 17-game season?
"As a quarterback, it's always centered around decision-making, timing, accuracy," Hill said. "At the end of the day, I'm constantly competing with myself to be as good of a player as I possibly can be. That competition never ends. Whether it's on the football field or whether it's in life, I feel like I'm always competing with myself to be as good of a person and as good of a player as I possibly can."
