The New Orleans Saints might have the NFL’s most interesting quarterback room in the 2020 NFL season. Drew Brees is returning for his 15th season as the team’s starter. Jameis Winston signed with the Saints after leading the league in passing yards. Taysom Hill is third on the depth chart and considered to be Brees’ successor.

Head coach Sean Payton has made it known that he views Hill as a future starting quarterback. Even with Brees signing a new two-year contract and Winston coming along, that reportedly hasn’t changed.

“No smokescreen, he’s the guy,” Jay Glazer wrote in The Athletic Wednesday, refuting the suggestion that Hill might not be in New Orleans’ plans. “Sean Payton loves him but it’s not just him, the whole team loves him, not just Sean Payton. Watch a Saints game. When he’s in the game, watch the other players on the sideline, watch their reaction. They all get up and stand on the sidelines to watch him. I think Sean was always hoping to unleash him on the league without anyone seeing him before but now we’ve seen it with Lamar Jackson. He’s a bigger Lamar Jackson. No, it’s not a smokescreen. He likes him that much, he’ll be the guy. He’s with the perfect coach for that.”

That’s some high praise, considering Jackson just won the NFL MVP award unanimously. Jackson led the Baltimore Ravens to a 14-2 record as a 22-year-old, setting a record for quarterbacks with 1,206 rushing yards. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner also ranked first with 36 touchdown passes to go along with 3,127 passing yards and a 113.3 passer rating.

Hill will be 30 years old in Week 1. He’s only thrown for 119 yards since attempting his first pass in 2018, going 6-13 with no touchdowns and an interception. Hill had 196 rushing yards two seasons ago and 156 yards on the ground in 2019.

Hill has been most productive as a receiver, catching 19 passes for 234 yards and six touchdowns last year. He had a 20-yard touchdown reception in New Orleans’ wild-card round loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The quarterback added 50 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in that game, as well.

Maybe the Saints believe Hill could be a starting-caliber quarterback if given the chance in 2020, but there’s no reason to replace Brees if he still wants to keep playing, even at 41 years old. The future Hall of Famer is still playing at an elite level.

A thumb injury cost Brees five starts last season. He was among the league’s most efficient quarterbacks when healthy, completing 74.3% of his passes for 2,979 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions. His 116.3 passer rating was the best of his career and good for second in the league.

Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 as Brees’ replacement in 2019. Bridgewater signed a three-year. $63 million contract to become the Carolina Panthers’ starter, creating a potential blueprint for Winston.

Winston is expected to start if Brees suffers an injury in 2020. He threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a season ago. The former No.1 overall pick also recorded 30 interceptions, seven of which were returned for scores.

Winston only has a base salary of $1.1 million.

The Saints have won three straight NFC South championships, going 13-3 in each of the last two seasons.

Drew Brees New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints reacts after a touchdown during the NFC Divisional Playoff at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris Graythen/Getty Images
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