NFL Rumors: Will Drew Brees, Cam Newton, Jameis Winston Stay In NFC South? Odds Suggest 2020 Shakeup

With so much talk about the potential quarterback carousel, no division has a chance to feature more change than the NFC South. Three of the four teams could be looking for new starting signal callers in the 2020 NFL season.

The Atlanta Falcons are the only team in the NFC South that can be certain of their No.1 quarterback next year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers have major decisions to make this offseason. The New Orleans Saints are preparing for the possible retirement of a future Hall of Famer.

Drew Brees is unsigned for the 2020 season. He’s expected to either retire or sign a short-term contract with New Orleans. The ball is in his court with free agency set to officially begin in a month on March 18.

According to OddsShark, Brees has -400 odds to be on the Saints roster in Week 1. The odds of Brees not being a Saint in September are +250.

If Brees calls it a career, Teddy Bridgewater or Taysom Hill is expected to be his replacement. Both players are also unsigned for next season.

While Brees is considered likely to return to New Orleans, Cam Newton’s future in Carolina is considered to essentially be a 50-50 proposition. The quarterback is given -120 odds to be the Panthers’ Week 1 starter. He also has -120 to not be under center for Carolina in the first game of next season.

Newton has one year left on his contract. The 30-year-old only has a $2 million dead cap, giving the Panthers the option to release Newton without much of a penalty. Injuries have cut each of Newton’s last two seasons short, and he only played two games in 2019.

“Look, I've said again and again about it, it's a question of how healthy he is,” Panthers owner David Tepper said last week, via ESPN, when asked if Newton will return to Carolina in 2020. “That's still the No. 1 overwhelming thing, to see how healthy he is and to figure out when he's healthy or not. Everything comes from that.”

The odds suggest there will be a quarterback change in Tampa Bay. Jameis Winston has +150 odds to start for the Buccaneers in Week 1. His odds of not being Tampa Bay’s starter are -200.

Winston is headed for free agency after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has the option to use the franchise tag on the quarterback. Head coach Bruce Arians has been noncommittal on the signal caller, who led the league with 30 interceptions in 2019.

“Really nothing has changed,” Arians said last week, regarding the team’s quarterback plans. “What’s Door No. 2? You know? Can we make the one we have better? All those things you go through right now.”

New Orleans has won three straight NFC South titles. Carolina last made the playoffs in the 2017 season. Tampa Bay has gone 12 years without a playoff appearance.