It is April, Sean Payton was just out at TPC Louisiana to play a charity golf event before the Zurich Classic tees off this week, and his New Orleans Saints team is still months away from taking the field for training camp.
That is to say, it’s still early in this process. So the Saints coach said the idea of life after Drew Brees hasn’t hit too hard yet. At some point when everybody returns to the facility, he knows he will be reminded his right-hand man of 15 years is no longer there.
Payton met with local media Tuesday afternoon for the first time since Brees announced his retirement last month. Playing with him at the event Tuesday was Taysom Hill, one of the quarterbacks who will compete for the chance to succeed Brees in the starting lineup.
This upcoming season will mark the first time since Payton took over as head coach in 2006 that someone other than Brees will take snaps under center. He was asked if he was excited about the prospect of coaching with a different quarterback, and he started his answer by saying there’s excitement every new season.
“The approach is still the same though,” Payton said. “We’ve got a good core group of young, talented players that have won a lot of games and have experienced that taste of the postseason. I think you build your team around that.
“Is there an elevated level of excitement? I think it’s the same. As a coach, you owe it to that roster to work hard and put them in the best position to have success.”
The team intends to have Hill compete with Jameis Winston for the starting quarterback position. Payton expressed confidence in both of them Tuesday. Both are scheduled to hit free agency after the 2021 season.
The Saints re-signed Winston to a one-year deal the day after Brees announced his retirement. Last year was his first with the Saints, and he attempted just 11 passes including the playoffs. But Payton said that year was important for both the player and the team to get a sense of each other.
“You learn about a person — his personality, his intelligence, how he is in the locker room, how he interacts with his teammates, all those things,” Payton said. “... It was a good process. Watching him come in, obviously he’s got a tremendous skill set and he’s someone that I think did a good job with his teammates.”
Hill and the Saints have been together for four seasons now, but last year was something of a first in their relationship as well. He started four games while Brees was sidelined with rib injuries, giving both himself and the team their first chance to see what he could do in the role.
When asked if that experience — during which the Saints went 3-1 as Hill compiled eight total touchdowns — was the tip of the iceberg, Hill said he believed it was.
“I would also say I think the mindset is different: Hey, Drew went down, you’re called on to step in and do everything you can to not mess it up as a back up,” Hill said. “That was my mindset. I think the mindset shifts when you become the guy.
“... Last year, it was always a means to an end. Hey, when is Drew going to be healthy and when is he going to be ready, because your time is then over. So I think it’s a different mindset and something I’m looking forward to.”
