The New Orleans Saints had no choice but to bring quarterback Jameis Winstonback.
After all, the team had success when he was under center early in the 2021 season.
They had a convincing Week 1 victory over the Green Bay Packers and started their campaign at 5-2.
Unfortunately, things went south for the Saints when Winston had a torn ACL and MCL damage in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Trevor Siemian won the game against Tampa Bay in relief of Winston but lost the next four games.
Those losses were enough to put the Saints out of the playoffs.
But New Orleans gets a fresh start after getting Winston back on a two-year, $28 million deal.
Hopefully, they get to finish what they started in 2021, starting with a return to the playoffs.
It’s uncharacteristic for the Saints to miss the postseason because they’ve been there from 2017 to 2020 and had double-digit victories in each of those seasons.
Yet while Winston is their starter, his numbers are comparable to Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre in a way that isn’t the best news possible.
Throughout Favre’s career, his touchdowns per attempt were at five percent while his interceptions per attempt is at 3.3 percent.
Winston has the same numbers throughout seven NFL seasons.
However, those numbers do not necessarily paint a great picture.
Every Snap Is In The Balance
While Favre is a three-time MVP and a Super Bowl winner, he will be remembered for his freewheeling style of play.
He was never afraid to take chances for big plays, sometimes to a fault.
In contrast, Winston has been dogged by inaccuracy concerns early in his career.
In 2019, he threw for 30 interceptions despite having over 5,000 passing yards.
With an improved Saints receiving corps, Winston must consistently hit his targets downfield.
Otherwise, the team might draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2023 draft.
