Saints: 3 dark horse replacements for Drew Brees

If this is truly it for Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints should sign one of these three quarterbacks to replace him.

The New Orleans Saints entered this weekend looking to make their first trip to the NFC Championship Game since the 2018 season. But they also wanted to ensure veteran quarterback and future Hall of Famer Drew Brees reached the Super Bowl for the second time in his career.

Prior to their Divisional Round game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that Brees would retire after this postseason. However, Brees and the Saints were hoping that their playoff run would’ve lasted a little longer, as they fell 30-20 to the Buccaneers on Sunday. Brees didn’t do himself any favors, as he threw three interceptions in the contest.

Now, we all wait to see whether Brees will make the reported retirement official, or if he’ll give it one more year. If Brees decides on the former, the Saints need to start exploring for replacements. Sure, they could go with Taysom Hill, but he’s not really a feasible long-term option. But, the Saints could go a bit outside the box for Brees’ successor. Here are three options the organization should consider.

After getting eliminated, the Saints are now slated to select 28th-overall in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft. Given their draft position, it’s unlikely that they’ll end up with Justin Field, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance or even Mac Jones falling into their laps. But there is one signal-caller that should be available to New Orleans, and that’s Florida’s Kyle Trask.

Trask broke onto the scene this past season in Gainseville, where he threw for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions all on a 68.9-completion percentage. In fact, his passing yardage and touchdowns were single-season records at Florida. Trask to finish in fourth in the Heisman Trophy race, which was won by Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith.

The young quarterback doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he truly thrives in the short-to-intermediate passing game. That, and he’s not the most mobile quarterback in the draft class. Still, Trask managed to break records in the tough SEC! If the Saints want to ensure they’re not in quarterback hell, they should take a shot at Trask. Plus, head coach Sean Payton can maximize Trask’s strengths and help him improve. It’s a win-win.