Benjamin Watson hopes to remain with the Saints next season
Benjamin Watson, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, addressed his future with the New Orleans Saints during an interview on Monday.
After the New Orleans Saints decided to trade away All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham in March, many fans and media members began to question the offense and its depleted receiving corps.
Not so fast. Tight end Benjamin Watson, who turned 35 in December, was one of several heroes who came to the rescue and proved the critics wrong, tallying career highs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns for a 74-825-6 mark to close out his final contract year in New Orleans.
Benjamin Watson is without question a talented individual and one of the true leaders of this franchise both on and off the field, which is one of many reasons he was just named one of three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award alongside New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
2015’s all-star performance by the long-time veteran may have been enough for the Saints to consider re-signing him when the unrestricted free agent hits the open market this offseason. As for Benjamin Watson, it sounds like he’ll be keeping his fingers crossed when that time comes.
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“I had a good meeting with Mickey (Loomis) and Sean (Payton),” Benjamin Watson said. “We talked about the season like they do with everybody. They’ll make their decision with personnel whenever the time comes. I’m at a position where I’m healthy, thank God. I didn’t have any surgeries. I still enjoy playing football and I will take the opportunities as they come.”
“I enjoy the city of New Orleans,” Watson added. “If it’s New Orleans, we would love to be here. We’re already settled. I’ve got five kids — I don’t feel like moving everybody everywhere,” Watson chuckled. “This is a great place for us and I enjoy playing here.”
And New Orleans would also love for Benjamin Watson to remain with the Saints after the tight end emerged as one of Drew Brees‘ most reliable targets this season. With the help of Watson, the Saints finished second in total offense in 2015. The man deserves a ton of credit and a new contract, even if it’s just a one or two-year deal, given his age. His ability to produce is obviously a non-issue.