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Drew Brees, Taysom Hill, Teddy Bridgewater: It’s not that complicated

What it boils down to:

• I think it’s more likely than not that Brees returns, eschewing TV for one year.

• I think Hill, barring an unlikely restricted-free-agency offer of good money and a likely starting job, will remain a Saint in 2020.

• I think Bridgewater is most likely (but not certainly) gone, because he knows the Saints want to give Hill the chance to be Brees’ heir.



BREES

Like his friend and quasi-mentoree from San Diego, Philip Rivers, Brees knows he’ll have 20 years to do football on TV if he wants (or to do politics, or to be anything other than a quarterback), and only one or two to be a quarterback at a high level with a legitimate chance to win a Super Bowl. He and Payton are such a good fit that they complete each other’s sentences. That’s literally true; I saw it in a Saturday night QB meeting in New Orleans in 2018. Even if he walks into the ESPN Monday night booth, or some booth for some network, at something like $7 million per year, that’s a quarter or a fifth of what he’d make taking one shot at a Super Bowl—and he knows the Saints are close. Plus, chances are there will be another big network job there for him in ’21 or ’22, when his body is telling him, “Enough.”

HILL

I think Hill will have the chance to return in 2020 even if Brees retires. I think the Saints would probably give him the shot to win the starting job—and wouldn’t want to pay Bridgewater to keep from the open market and a starting job somewhere else. Payton was honest last week in this column, telling me he thinks it’s likely Hill will get an offer sheet in free-agency. I’m not so sure, but whatever the offer is, Hill already feels the love from one of the most imagination play-designers and callers in this century, Payton. So, somehow, the Saints will make it worth Hill’s while to stay for one more year, and let him know he’s next in line when Brees leaves.

Assuming Hill is going to be a good to very good NFL starter when Brees leaves is a gigantic leap of faith and could be way wrong. But the other day I put on the Chargers-Saints preseason game from last August on NFL GamePass and saw Hill, in 32 minutes, complete 11-of-15 and lead the Saints back from a 17-3 deficit to win. It’s preseason, and who cares. But before you say Hill can’t play, or before you say Hill is a fools-gold Tebow II, watch some of the plays Hill made. “Taysom Hill, I take my hat off to him,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said that day. “He’s a heck of a player.” Moreover, Payton thinks Hill can do it. He’s seen him every day for almost three years. Wouldn’t he know better than those on the outside?

And stop this nonsense about how Hill’s too old, and who wants to start a rebuild behind a 30-year-old quarterback. (He turns 30 Aug. 23.) He’s played 1,125 snaps in three NFL seasons, 62 percent on special teams. He’s 30 because of a two-year Mormon mission, a fifth college season at BYU, and three NFL seasons in the shadows. He’s not going to fail because he’ll be 30 or 31 when his starting career begins. He’ll fail, if he does, because he’s not good enough.

Hill succeeding is no sure thing. But too many people are too quick to dismiss him. I’m not.

BRIDGEWATER

I just can’t see the Saints laying out big money to sign Bridgewater, even if Brees walks. That would be choosing Bridgewater long-term over Hill, which might be smart. But I just don’t see the Saints, in the event Brees retires, paying Bridgewater to be the man for the next three or four years, thus forcing Hill to take almost any offer in restricted free-agency. And so . . .

Teddy Bridgewater: Tampa Bay makes sense

I can hear it now: Bridgewater doesn’t have the deep arm Bruce Arians needs. I would dispute that. When Arians put Carson Palmer in the pilot’s chair in Arizona, his previous NFL yards per attempt in Cincinnati and Oakland was 7.2. Bridgewater’s career NFL yards per attempt: 7.2.

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Rugby Saint II

Three educated guesses......Drew is back in New Orleans. Hill is back in New Orleans. Bridgewater is playing elsewhere. Honestly, I couldn't care less about where the others wind up. Go Saints!

The Dude

But I thought we we’re trading our offensive line, Thomas, Kamara, Jordan and Davis plus all of this years draft picks for Burrow. Am I misinformed?

AsylumGuido

Yup. That's the way I see it.

WillMacKenzie

Brees will be back, and probably Hill. I just don’t see anybody promising Hill a first year start at QB. He wants more money, and I don’t blame him.

Bridgewater, someone will probably sign him. Burrow is a delusional pipe dream. I understand being an LSU fan, but fantasies of that magnitude aren’t healthy lol

CHA_CHING

Brees is going to return and we'll end up overpaying him, bring Hill back and then let Bridgewater walk.

No one else in the league is going to pay Taysom Hill to be a starting QB cause he isn't starting QB material. I can't believe so many people want him over Bridgewater and talking about us running Baltimore's offense when they got smoked in the playoffs. If it's true that Payton wants him to be Brees' successor over the QB who went 5-0 and was #2 in the league in deep ball percentage completion, than he has completely lost it.

My biggest fear is letting Bridgewater walk and him going to some team who beats the crap out of us. If the Bears would move on from Trubisky, he'd be the right QB there to get them back to the playoffs. I don't think Arians would help Bridgewater at all. Winston is a turnover machine but QBs in his system usually become INT crazy due to his philosophy of dropping back and throwing bombs.

I'm hoping Brees retires and we bring Bridgewater back, but we're the Saints. Things rarely ever go our way.

LOL at the thought of us getting Burrow. He's going to be drafted by Cincy who will mostly ruin his career like they have done to Dalton and had pretty much done to Palmer before him.

vpheughan

MAGNANIMOUS OF YOU TO BECOME THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE NFL'S MOST "WHINING FAN BASE"!!

By the way YOU forgot to "BLAME THE OFFICIALS"

Budsdrinker

Brees needs to come back, if not we'll have over $50 million in salary tied to the QB position.

AsylumGuido

I've heard this mentioned before by someone else here. I asked him this same question and never got a reply.

What do you consider as "overpaying" Brees? Where would your threshold lie?

WW_Who_Dat

Your worst nightmare is happening. Said it during or shortly after TB’s time behind center this year ... no way he returns to Saints in 2020. The job will not be offered, Brees will resign and Hill will resign and be given the first shot following Drew.

Will not take anything away from what TB accomplish but I just do not see him as the heir apparent QB in Coach’s offense.