Andy Dalton could end up starting in Week 4

The New Orleans Saints' quarterback situation suddenly looks more precarious as Jameis Winston missed practice for the second time on Thursday.

Could an Andy Dalton debut be in the cards in Week 4?

Winston reportedly took Wednesday off to rest and is currently dealing with back and ankle injuries three weeks into the season. The expectation was that Winston would be back in practice on Thursday, but he sat out yet again; Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill took starting reps in his absence.

Everything is speculation until Dennis Allen confirms the starter, but it seems slightly more likely that Winston will not feature in Week 4's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in London.

Saints QB Jameis Winston misses his second consecutive practice ahead of Week 4

One thing that's nearly certain, however, is Taysom Hill starting at quarterback. If the Saints do end up playing a backup, it'll be former Bengals signal-caller Andy Dalton who fills in in for Winston.

Dalton enjoyed an illustrious nine-year career with the Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Saints this past summer, and his signing has been lauded as one of the most important additions of the offseason.

Many have been clamoring to play Dalton after Winston threw a few nasty picks in Week 2 and Week 3, and Dalton may finally get his chance to don the black and gold in Week 4.

Unfortunately, he'll be working with a beaten-up Saints' receiver unit and he'll potentially face a rejuvenated Vikings secondary that recently got safety Harrison Smith back in the lineup.

Stay tuned to see how this dicey situation plays out.

Fun fact: Dalton has actually faced Vikings QB Kirk Cousins in London before in a 2016 game that ended in a rare tie.