Saints might need to trade for Nick Foles after all
Two days before the NFL trade deadline, quarterback Jameis Winston went down with an injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the New Orleans Saints still managed to win, 36-27.
It turns out that Winston is out for the season with a torn ACL, along with damage to his MCL, so the 5-2 Saints might have to make unexpected moves. While it originally didn’t make any sense as to why New Orleans would trade for Nick Foles, it now does. One of the Saints’ biggest questions is now who they’re going to start at quarterback next week against the Atlanta Falcons.
If Taysom Hill wasn’t out with a concussion against Tampa Bay, he would’ve been the one to step up in Winston’s absence. Trever Siemian was the one to take snaps under center for the remainder of the game. New Orleans needs to boost its quarterback depth and Foles, the current third-string quarterback for the Chicago Bears, could do just that.
We all know that Foles led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl title in 2017, but since then his level of play hasn’t been the same. During the 2020 season, he played in nine games and threw 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Foles wouldn’t be a bad addition, considering that Sean Payton has a history of winning with backup quarterbacks, but he’s also not someone that the Saints should be all-in on.
Sean Payton dismisses the notion that the Saints are looking for other quarterbacks, saying "we're satisfied with our quarterback room."
— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) November 1, 2021
Saints have Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Ian Book on the roster.
As for which one will start going forward, Payton doesn't tip his hand.
Nick Foles could soon be a member of the New Orleans Saints
Payton clearly isn’t leaning towards adding Foles to the depth chart, but never say never. There’s no telling what could happen in the next 24 hours. Although New Orleans isn’t sure if Hill will be back in time for Week 9, Payton said that Hill has continued to progress after being out for the past two games. That’s a good sign.
Foles isn’t serving a huge purpose for the Bears right now. He’s behind rookie Justin Fields and Andy Dalton. Chicago has had its fair share of starting quarterback drama, but Foles’ name was never thrown into the mix. The Saints should at least be exploring that option, especially if it’ll only cost them a 2022 seventh-round draft pick.
New Orleans has other needs that need to be addressed, even with Winston’s injury. Right now, the team’s biggest hole is at the wide receiver position. Michael Thomas is eligible to return after dealing with an ankle injury but hasn’t practiced yet. With not knowing how he’s going to perform, the Saints’ main priority is likely filling that gap in.
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Payton isn’t sold on adding another quarterback to the roster, but there may be something going on behind the scenes at this very moment. If New Orleans doesn’t acquire Foles, that’ll be fine. With Hill, Siemian and Book, the Saints could be in a worse position after losing their QB1. Foles is an afterthought – for now.