Did Saints’ Ian Book do enough to earn a QB role in 2022?

The New Orleans Saints needed an incredible preseason showing from Ian Book to justify putting him on the roster, and unfortunately, the second-year QB came up short.

Book, a 2021 fourth-rounder, didn’t get a fair chance to prove himself on the field last year when he made his debut with a very beaten-up Saints squad.

We’re willing to give him a freebie on that one, but he doesn’t get any excuses in the 2022 preseason. Book got off to a terrible start against the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers, recording a pick and a fumble and really struggling to generate any offensive rhythm under center.

He had a plethora of opportunities and did throw a nice touchdown pass to rookie Chris Olave, but his first two preseason performances all but spelled his doom.

In the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, Book (finally) improved and played a much cleaner game, without a doubt the best game of his short career.

NOLA Saints should be ready to move on from QB Ian Book in 2022

Too little, too late.

There’s a good chance that the Saints roster three quarterbacks into 2022 given Winston’s precarious health status. In spite of everything we’ve seen last year, that QB3 role should go to Taysom Hill, who possesses more talent and consistency than Book.

Hill may not have the arm to help the Saints sustain drives downfield, but NOLA at least knows what kind of quarterback they’re getting in Hill. One who’s crafty, has explosive speed, and can make the easy, quick throws.

In Book, the Saints have no idea what version they’ll get in 2022. Book finally started cooking in the preseason final and looked the most comfortable we’ve seen him look in a black and gold uniform; his putrid performances in the two games prior, however, should not be so easily forgotten.

Book’s penchant for throwing picks and poor decision-making knocks him down to a QB4 below Hill, and New Orleans would be making the right choice to release him ahead of the roster deadline.

No need to extend his purgatory in NOLA. Let him try his luck somewhere else.