It looks like Drew Brees‘ time on television is over, for now. NBC Sports told the press that the former quarterback would not be a part of the NFL and Notre Dame’s coverage this season. It was reported last month that the former Saints quarterback would not return back to NBC as a studio or game analyst.

NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua said that decision to not bring Brees back was mutual and was due to the talks between both parties about Bree’s spending more time with his family. “The unbelievable busyness of an NFL career and then really not taking a break at all and launching right in with us with both Notre Dame football and the NFL, it was certainly an around-the-clock assignment,” Bevacqua said. “This was definitely a lifestyle choice for him, which is totally understandable.”

Brees signed a multi-year contract with NBA prior to the end of his NFL career. The 43-year-old had been on the call as an analyst for Notre Dame with Mike Tirico and was a panelist on NBC’s Football Night In America pregame show. He also called the playoff matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals.

Many people assumed that Brees would take Cris Collinsworth‘s role as an analyst on Sunday Night Football, due to Al Michaels‘s move to Amazon Prime, but that isn’t the case as Tirico slides to the play-by-play spot with Collinsworth remaining in his role. Brees still remains under contract with NBC and there are spots open for him, however, it is likely that Brees will not take an on-air role this season. Brees had previously made headlines when he tweeted about leaving retirement to possibly play again, however, Saints’ coach Dennis Allen brushed off that possibility saying that the tweet was likely made “in jest.”

Bevacqua said that although Brees will not return, he felt as if he did a fantastic job as an analyst. “It was a new role, and everyone has a learning curve. I think he did an unbelievable job with Notre Dame and improved every week. He was always unbelievably prepared, curious about how things were handled and the work that went into it,” he said. It is unclear who will fill Brees’ vacant spot.

Retired quarterback Drew Brees may drop the first part of that title, as reports surfaced over the weekend that he’s leaving his analyst job at NBC to possibly return to the gridiron.

“Despite speculation from media about my future this fall, I’m currently undecided,” Brees said on Twitter. “I may work for NBC, I may play football again, I may focus on business and philanthropy, I may train for the pickleball tour, senior golf tour, coach my kids or all of the above. I’ll let you know.”

New Saints head coach Dennis Allen was asked about the 43-year-old Brees’ tweet, and he said the team “[hasn’t] had any conversations in that regard.”

If Brees does return to the NFL, the Saints would be a tough sell as they signed Jameis Winston to a multi-year extension, brought in Andy Dalton to back him up, and still have Taysom Hill and Ian Brook on the roster.

The New Orleans Saints have lost starting cornerback Patrick Robinson after he informed the team of his decision to go for an early retirement on Wednesday.

Robinson’s retirement is only one day after the team discovered Pro Bowl Kicker Wil Lutz has to undergo surgery to repair a core muscle injury and will miss significant time. Furthermore, Lutz’s discovery is also the same day All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas accused the team of attempting to “damage” his reputation. This was in response to the news of the team being infuriated with Thomas’ decision to wait until June to have ankle surgery that will sideline him indefinitely. 

Robinson was a first-round pick of the Saints in 2010 and played out his rookie contract before leaving to play for various teams. He had the biggest moment of his career playing for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, where he is remembered for his pick-six in the NFC Championship game that turned the tide against the Vikings and helped send them to Super Bowl LII.

Robinson returned to New Orleans in 2018 on a four-year, $20 million contract. He suffered a broken ankle that season and missed all but one start. The cornerback worked his way back to being a key player in 2020, gathering two interceptions last season before nursing an injury again in December.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The Bucs have an unchanged roster for the most part, and Tom Brady recently extended his contract to stay with the team. Brady has continued to defy father time and is still performing at an elite level. Considering the trio of receivers that Tampa has in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown, Brady should continue to produce monster numbers.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule:

• Week 1: Thu 09/09 vs Dallas Cowboys
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 vs Atlanta Falcons
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 at Los Angeles Rams
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 at New England Patriots
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 vs Miami Dolphins
• Week 6: Thu 10/14 at Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 7: Sun 10/24 vs Chicago Bears
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 9: BYE 
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at Washington Football Team
• Week 11: Mon 11/22 vs New York Giants
• Week 12: Sun 11/28 at Indianapolis Colts
• Week 13: Sun 12/05 at Atlanta Falcons
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 vs Buffalo Bills
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 vs New Orleans Saints
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 at Carolina Panthers
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 at New York Jets
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 vs Carolina Panthers

NFC South: The Buccs are the overwhelming favorites to win the division now that Drew Brees retired. Their only other rival is the Saints, who are going to decide on a new starting quarterback. It should be a relatively easy path for Tampa to take the division title.

Matchups: Tampa has one of the easiest schedules in the league. The playoff teams that the Bucs have to face are the Bears (who likely won’t make the playoffs again this year), the Bills, Saints, Rams and Colts. Tampa meets the aforementioned teams once each this season, with the sole exception being their division foes, the New Orleans Saints. Fortunately for the Bucs, they get favorable matchups with the Panthers and Falcons (twice each), as well as the Eagles, Giants and Jets. Those are all practically automatic wins for Brady’s Buccaneers.

Overall: The Buccaneers are returning as the overwhelming favorites to win the Super Bowl. Tampa has an easier schedule than most others this season. The Bucs should win the division fairly easily now that Brees has retired. Even if the Saints somehow do win the division, there is no way that the Bucs won’t make the postseason barring a season-ending injury to Brady.

Prediction: The Bucs will finish first in the division with a 13-4 record.

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The Saints are going to begin the season without quarterback Drew Brees. Brees, a future Hall of Famer and the long-time Saints quarterback retired after the 2020 season. The starter role is going be to awarded to either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill. There is a legitimate quarterback competition in New Orleans. Regardless of who wins the starting job, the offense should still run through running back Alvin Kamara. Plus, Michael Thomas should see plenty of targets, but would likely have a better outlook if Winston won the starting job since Hill uses his legs just as often as his arms.

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New Orleans Saints Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 vs Green Bay Packers
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 at Carolina Panthers
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 at New England Patriots
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 vs New York Giants
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 at Washington Football Team
• Week 6: BYE
• Week 7: Mon 10/25 at Seattle Seahawks
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 vs Atlanta Falcons
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at Tennessee Titans
• Week 11: Sun 11/21 at Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 12: Thu 11/25 vs Buffalo Bills
• Week 13: Thu 12/02 vs Dallas Cowboys
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 at New York Jets
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 16: Mon 12/27 vs Miami Dolphins
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 vs Carolina Panthers
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 at Atlanta Falcons

NFC South: Last season, New Orleans won the division over their rivals, the Buccaneers. However, now that Brees is retired, it is going to be hard to win it over Tampa again. The Saints are still considered a strong team, even with the uncertainty at the quarterback position. They will dominate the Falcons and Panthers, so the division may come down to a Week 15 meeting with Tom Brady and the Bucs.

Matchups: New Orleans will face a difficult stretch of games from Week 8 to Week 13. They will face playoffs teams like the Bucs, Titans, Bills and Cowboys, who have a healthy Dak Prescott back. Their games with Tampa will decide who controls the division. Regardless, the team will finish second in the division unless the injury bug hits.

Overall: The Saints are still a strong team that will make the playoffs again in 2021. However, the team’s postseason success may very well rest on their new quarterback’s shoulders, which is a scary thought for New Orleans fans. This team will go as far as either Winston or Hill takes them in the post-Brees era.

Prediction: New Orleans will finish with a 10-7 record, good for second in the division. They will sneak into the postseason with a Wild Card berth.

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The Falcons have been making big changes to their organization and roster in the offseason. Atlanta fired head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff. The Falcons hired former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to become their new head coach. Atlanta hired Terry Fontenot as their new general manager.

Smith is a great addition to Atlanta because he oversaw the highest-scoring Titans team last year. Smith could help usher a high-scoring offense for the Falcons. Smith brought with him defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who was the defensive coordinator for the Titans.

Atlanta traded away Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones to the Titans for a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in 2023. This move was a long time coming, but it also means that the Falcons are moving towards a full rebuild now.

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Atlanta Falcons Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 at New York Giants
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 vs Washington Football Team
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 vs New York Jets
• Week 6: BYE
• Week 7: Sun 10/24 at Miami Dolphins 
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 vs Carolina Panthers
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at Dallas Cowboys
• Week 11: Thu 11/18 vs New England Patriots
• Week 12: Sun 11/28 at Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 13: Sun 12/05 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 at Carolina Panthers
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 at San Francisco 49ers
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 vs Detroit Lions
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 at Buffalo Bills
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 vs New Orleans Saints

NFC South: The Buccaneers are the favorites to win the division after Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced his retirement in the offseason. It is still possible that the Saints could remain competitive, but they would need a solid quarterback to do so. The Falcons are a long shot if they want to win the division crown.

Matchups: The Falcons’ toughest stretch of games will be from Week 10 to Week 15. The toughest opponents on their schedule are the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Bills and Saints. Overall, Atlanta actually has a pretty favorable schedule with games against the Eagles, Giants, Jets, Panthers, Patriots, Jaguars and Lions.

Overall: The Falcons traded away one of their biggest offensive players, hired a new coach and new general manager. Without Jones, the Falcons only have one true playmaker on offense in Calvin Ridley. This could be a very long season for Matt Ryan and the Falcons.

Prediction: Atlanta will finish with a 5-12, good for last place in the division.

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On Tuesday, an emotional Jameis Winston held back tears when talking about playing with Drew Brees last season. Winston wants to become the New Orleans Saints‘ new starting quarterback, so he would, “love to carry that torch from him.”

In a web conference call, the quarterback reflected on playing with Brees. “Being able to have an entire season with Drew Brees was a dream of mine,” said Winston. Winston was emotional when talking about Brees because he admired the Pro Bowler. Winston had nothing but praise and adoration for the former Saints quarterback.

“For him to put his arm around me or just give me any encouraging words after I saw the resilience, the passion, the way that he approached every single day; for that to even be a story, I was touched by that,” Winston remarked. “Because he doesn’t even know how much he means to me and my family.”

Winston played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was not re-signed when the team instead decided to pursue Tom Brady. So, the 27-year-old quarterback joined the Saints last season on a one-year deal. Winston joined the Saints with the intention of reviving his career and learning from Brees and the coaching staff.

While the 27-year-old did not play much last season, he was offered another contract by the team to stay for another year. This contract was offered because Brees retired after the season ended and the team needs a new starting quarterback. Winston is expected to compete with Taysom Hill for the starting position.

Winston has the motivation and drive to become the new starting quarterback. “I would love to carry that torch from him, I would love to be able to provide the excitement and joy and resilience that [Brees] provided for this city,” Winston stated.

The quarterback looks to improve and lessen his turnovers by taking the advice of his idol to heart. “One of the greatest things I learned from Drew was, you know, ‘Jameis, we are making decisions based on it being the right decision. We’re not concerned about the result, right? Because over time the right decision is going to get us to where we want to be.'”

Winston was sparingly used last year, but did throw a 56-yard touchdown pass on a trick play in the Saints’ playoff loss to the Buccaneers. That being said, when Brees missed time last year with an injury, it was Hill who started in his place. It will be interesting to see whether Winston can beat Hill out for the starting gig in 2021.

On Sunday, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced his retirement after 20 seasons.

Brees announced his decision with the help of his children on an Instagram video. In the video, Brees’ four children spoke about their father retiring, while Brees wrote a long statement. In the retirement statement, the 42-year-old said, “After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it is time I retire from the game of football. Each day, I poured my heart & soul into being your Quarterback. Til the very end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team, and the great city of New Orleans. We shared some amazing moments together, many of which are emblazoned in our hearts and minds and will forever be a part of us.”

In his retirement statement, Brees gave some touching words for his tenure with the Saints. “You have molded me, strengthened me, inspired me, and given me a lifetime of memories. My goal for the last 15 years was striving to give to you everything you had given to me and more. I am only retiring from playing football, I am not retiring from New Orleans. This is not goodbye, rather a new beginning. Now my real life’s work begins!”

The quarterback was drafted in 2001 by the then-San Diego Chargers and played with them until 2006. With the Chargers, the quarterback won the NFL Comeback Player of The Year award in 2004 and was elected to his first Pro Bowl as well. In 2004, the quarterback signed with the Saints and that’s where he made his legacy.

The 13-time Pro Bowler spent 15 seasons with the Saints and helped led them to a Super Bowl win in 2010. Additionally, the Pro Bowler was awarded the NFL Offensive Player of The Year twice. Other accolades include leading the league in passing yards seven times, passing touchdown leader four times, and completion percentage leader a total of six times.

The 42-year-old retires as the NFL’s all-time leader in career passing yards (80,358 yards), second all-time in touchdown passes (571) and completion percentage (67.7%).

Now that the New Orleans Saints’ season has ended, quarterback Drew Brees is contemplating retirement. This isn’t the first time that Brees has thought about retiring from the game of football. In 2019, the 42-year-old came close to retiring but did not.

The quarterback decided to return for one more season. Reflecting back on the decision to come back, he said, “I would never regret it, Never.” This season has not been optimal for the Hall of Fame-bound quarterback because of injury and the pandemic. The 13-time Pro Bowler missed four games because of a punctured lung and broken ribs. “I’d say this season, I probably had to fight through more than I’ve ever had to in any other season in my career,” he said. “From injury to all the COVID stuff to just crazy circumstances. It was worth every moment of it. Absolutely.”

It is widely expected that this time he will retire. After the Saints were eliminated by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brees stayed out on the field. The 42-year-old quarterback stayed for two hours on the Superdome field, the stadium that has been his home for a long time. Reflecting on the victories earned and the crowning achievement of winning a Super Bowl for the team and fans. The 2009 Super Bowl win remains the Saints only Super Bowl win and his.

Brees had a disappointing game against the Tampa Bay on Sunday. Brees only completed 19 of his 34 passes, 134 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. It was not a great performance on what may have been his final game. When asked about if he would retire, Brees responded, “I’m gonna give myself an opportunity to think about the season, think about a lot of things, just like I did last year, and make a decision.”

The New Orleans Saints will be getting their franchise quarterback back in time for their pivotal game versus the Kansas City Cheifs.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be starting on Sunday’s game. Brees has missed the last four games because he suffered a punctured lung and fractured ribs on November 15.

The Saints turned to 30-year-old Taysom Hill as their starter while the 41-year-old quarterback was out with injury. Hill was able to hold down the fort for four games as their starter. In those four games, the 30-year-old was able to win three games with just one loss. In four games, he threw for 834 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Not only was Hill effective in passing but had success in the rushing department. Hill rushed for 209 yards and had four rushing touchdowns to his game. However, a concern for the team was his six fumbles.

Sunday’s game with the Chiefs will be an uphill battle as Patrick Mahomes has led Kansas City to 12 wins and just one loss this season. By naming Brees as their starter, they will be using the best quarterback they have. Before his injury, Brees had thrown 2,196 yards, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions. Not only that, but he had an impressive completion of 73.5%. Although the 41-year-old is cleared to play he has not practiced with the team yet.

A lot has been reported over the past week about the NFL’s struggle to achieve a cohesive plan in its quest to hold a full-season this fall despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary issued that the league has faced include health and safety protocols, fan-attendance, player compensation with reduced revenue and whether or not there will be preseason games. The latter topic has been a point of contention between the league and the NFLPA.

Originally, it was reported that the NFLPA took a hard stance that there’s should not be any preseason games played while the NFL had previously proposed just a two-game preseason–slashing that in half from the usual four. In response, the NFL is now proposing – per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero – that just one game be played on, traditionally, the third week of preseason or the “dress rehearsal” game, but the NFLPA is reportedly dug in on its stance that there should not be any preseason games played. All that said, there is more optimism around the league that a deal is close to being reached.

This is just one of the many issued that NFL needs to figure out since they seemed to have squandered the ample time that they had when it became clear that sports would need to adjust their practices in order to return in 2020. With players supposed to report to training camps as early as Monday, there had been increasing pressure from many public figures within the league for progress. For example, in a coordinated effort, many NFL players took to Twitter to express their frustration and concern about the NFL’s return policies–or lack thereof. Some of these players included Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and Myles Garret.

Despite all of these frustrations, there seems to be a growing momentum that the NFL can iron out these issues in time to start the season on time but the proverbial window is visibly closing now. The NFL owners have scheduled a call on Monday at 2 p.m. ET with the hopes of finalizing many aspects of the return such as health and safety protocols and fan attendance. This meeting, as well as many of the negotiations this upcoming week, will determine when and if we get to see football this September.

On Thursday, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees issued an apology after saying that he would “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.” Brees first apologized on Instagram early Thursday morning in a lengthy post. On Thursday evening, Brees issued a second apology, this time in the form of a video.

In the video, Brees said that among other things, “I know there’s not much I can say that would make things better right now, but I just want you to see in my eyes how sorry I am for the comments I made yesterday. I am sorry, and I will do better, and I will be part of the solution, and I am your ally.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBCIljGngKI/

Brees met with his Saints teammates yesterday, apologizing for what he said. Numerous of his teammates including Malcolm Jenkins and Michael Thomas were extremely vocal in what was said by their quarterback. It has been reported that the Saints’ team meeting did not heal all wounds, but it was a step in the right direction. 

On Wednesday, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees gave his thoughts on the protests taking place across the country and protests in the NFL.  Brees said that he would “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.” These comments had many in the sports community upset with Brees, including Saints teammate Malcolm Jenkins. 

Brees in the past has been a huge supporter of the U.S. military, donating millions of dollars to various organizations that support American troops.

Early Thursday morning, Brees issued a lengthy apology on Instagram, saying that he acknowledges his mistake and takes responsibility for his actions. “I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused. In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country. They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character. This is where I stand: I stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference. I condemn the years of oppression that have taken place throughout our black communities and still exist today. I acknowledge that we as Americans, including myself, have not done enough to fight for that equality or to truly understand the struggles and plight of the black community. I recognize that I am part of the solution and can be a leader for the black community in this movement. I will never know what it’s like to be a black man or raise black children in America but I will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right. I have ALWAYS been an ally, never an enemy. I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility and accountability. I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening…and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen. For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBA1P3gHpT_/

Despite the apology, there are still some who are unsure as to whether or not the views of the 41-year old quarterback have changed because of the backlash he received. 

Many members of the NFL community have taken part in protests across the country following the death of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

With the NFL schedule being released on Thursday night, one takeaway is that a notable streak might be in jeopardy.

Week 1 will see the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, in New Orleans. The Saints opened up a 6.5-point favorite according to Caesars Sportsbook. 

If this line holds, it will be the first time since Week 2 of the 2015 season where Brady will not be favored in a regular-season game. That is a streak of 74 regular-season games, the longest active streak in the NFL (Brees has the second-longest streak in the NFL).

Brady has thrived as an underdog during his career, winning 29 of 47 games in his career. During his time with the New England Patriots, Brady and the Pats went 33-13-1 against the spread as an underdog when Brady started.

Brees and Brady are first and second in NFL history in passing touchdowns and passing yards. Brees is 3-2 vs. Brady in their careers. The two will face off twice this season. The first in Week 1, the second time in Week 9.

Following Drew Brees’ decision to return to the Saints for at least another season in February following rumors of retirement, the organization decided to bolster up their depth chart by re-signing backup quarterback Taysom Hill to a two-year, $21 million deal. Of the $21 million, $16 million is fully guaranteed with an additional $1 million available in incentives.

“I’ve felt a lot of love from the organization and the fan base…. My wife and I always wanted to stay in New Orleans, so this worked out perfect,” Hill said on a conference call Sunday.

He later added that the structure of a two-year deal “made the most sense for everybody” and it gives Hill the best chance to replace Brees if he decides to retire while offering flexibility if an opportunity becomes available elsewhere. The new deal positions Hill as the second-highest paid backup quarterback in the NFL despite never throwing a touchdown pass.

“This gives me a clear trajectory and opportunity for me to compete and to be the guy in New Orleans in [2021] if Drew decides to be done. And if he’s not, then we’ll figure out another contract or my role will continue to be the way it is,” Hill said. “This was a way to prevent me to get to free agency next year, and it created some structure for both me and my family, as well as the organization.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_c4C8nDsu1/

The 29-year-old’s athleticism gives New Orleans the ability to use him as a skills player, which was evident in the NFC Wild Card game against Minnesota where Hill completed a 50-yard pass, rushed four times for 50 yards and finished with two receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown. Because of Brees’ reliability, Hill has rarely stepped in as quarterback and is just 7-15 for 169 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, but that hasn’t stopped him from being an impact player. In 42 games including the playoffs, Hill has run for 410 yards and three touchdowns combined with 25 receptions for 265 yards and eight touchdowns.

Sources told Yahoo Sports that the Saints are also finalizing a one-year deal with former Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, so a backup quarterback competition appears imminent.

“Coach and I had had a conversation before free agency hit, kind of what his plan was for me. I’ve had multiple conversations following that, and I knew that we were always gonna bring in another guy,” Hill said. “I didn’t know who it was gonna be. But no surprise there. I think Jameis is a good football player, and he’s a good quarterback. Nothing has changed for the New Orleans Saints. The goal always has been, and I think will always be, to win the Super Bowl. And so I trust Coach Payton, he’s created so many opportunities for me. And I think it’s great.”

Hill said in February that he views himself as a franchise quarterback and later told ESPN that New Orleans gives him the best opportunity to do so.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

“As I look at my career, I have goals and I have a vision for myself as to what I can be in the NFL,” said Hill, who has always made it clear that he wants to be a starting NFL quarterback. “And there has been nothing that has been said, or I’ve never been treated in any way that would lead me to believe that the vision I have for myself is not the same vision that Coach Payton has for me, as well as the other guys on staff.”

With the NFC Wild Card teams on the hot seat, Sunday’s games proved to be as exciting as the AFC’s one day prior. The Minnesota Vikings (11-6) defeated the New Orleans Saints (13-4) 26-20 in overtime, leaving the Mercedes-Benz Superdome speechless.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins bares an unfortunate reputation as an inadequate big-game player, but this game took a big step towards changing that. Cousins was 19 of 31 for 242 yards and a touchdown. But his big plays came in overtime with a 43-yard throw to wide receiver Adam Thielen, followed by a 4-yard fade to tight end Kyle Rudolph for the walk-off touchdown.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

Running back Dalvin Cook proved huge on the run with 28 carries for 94 yards with two touchdowns.

Saints quarterbacks Drew Brees and Taysom Hill didn’t see the field in overtime.

Brees threw for 208 yards, going 26 0f 33 with one touchdown and one interception. Hill was 1 of 1 for 50 yards, adding some yardage on the run-game as well.

“Tip your hats to Minnesota,” said Saints coach Sean Payton. “They deserved to win… They made more plays than we did.”

The Vikings defense was on fire, stopping what has been a fairly dominant Saints offense. Minnesota’s defensive line, led by Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, kept heat on Brees and the rest of the defensive corps held the run and pass games to a minimum.

The Saints head home disappointed after what was a solid season. Looking into the future for Brees will be interesting as well heading into the offseason.

The Vikings will take on the 49ers in San Francisco as they seek to continue their season.

Drew Brees is now officially the all-time NFL touchdown passes leader.

The New Orleans Saints quarterback surpassed Peyton Manning‘s record for career TD passes in Monday night’s 34-7 home rout of the Indianapolis Colts. Brees — who will be 41 next month — beat Manning by throwing his 540th NFL pass midway through the third quarter, a five-yard toss to Josh Hill that put New Orleans up 26-0.

Brees then threw another pass later in the second half of Monday’s game — his fourth of the night — to reach the 541-pass mark.

Brees can now add this achievement to his long list of accolades, which includes one Super Bowl victory, a Super Bowl MVP title, 12 Pro Bowls, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Walter Payton Man of the Year, seven-time NFL passing yards leader and five-time league completion percentage leader — among dozens of others. How much more impressive can he get?

IN MEMORIAM: SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

The Saints QB — a former second-round draft pick out of Purdue — received congratulations from several NFL stars, including Russell Wilson, Adrian Peterson, Deion Sanders, JJ Watt and Tom Brady, who has compiled 538 career touchdown passes:

ESPN Radio’s Trey Wingo, Mike Golic and Mike Golic Jr. also all reacted to Brees’ big accomplishment on Golic & Wingo:  

Brees has undoubtedly turned his season around completely. His 2019 campaign got off to a shaky start after he sustained a thumb injury that sidelined him for five games.

Now, he certainly appears on track to cementing his status as the greatest NFL quarterback of all time — or at least of his generation.

The 49ers beat the Saints 48-46 in an offensive battle on Sunday, but the game wasn’t without controversy.

The Saints were yet again on the opposing side of a pass interference call they felt was warranted late in the third quarter. On a fourth down in their own territory, they attempted a fake punt pass with backup quarterback Taysom Hill in the game. He tried to throw to Tre’Quan Smith as he ran down the sideline to get open. Tarvarius Moore stayed close to him and held him before taking him down to the ground with the ball bouncing next to the players. Head Coach Sean Payton was arguing with official John Hussey about the contact, but under NFL Rules pass interference will not be called on a fake punt attempt. Payton went on to claim that Smith was held and thus the Saints should have the ball back, but Hussey shook his head and moved on.

When Payton was asked about the play postgame he responded, “I don’t want to answer one officiating question today, so I won’t. Sorry.”

The Saints also failed to convert a two-point conversion on two occasions during the game. Going for two in games is a strategy the Saints don’t stray away from especially for a top ten offense when Drew Brees is under center.

“We’re going to play aggressive. We’re going to take chances. We’re not going to making excuses,” Brees told the media.

The 94 points scored in the NFC matchup Sunday was the highest total scored in a game this season.  Both quarterbacks came to play with Brees completing 72.5 % of his passes with 349 yards and 5 touchdowns. Jimmy Garoppolo also threw for 349 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. The defenses on both teams were almost non-existent as many plays on both sides went for big gains. Emmanuel Sanders had a monster game for San Francisco catching seven balls for 157 yards, one receiving touchdown and a touchdown pass.  On that very play Garoppolo snapped the ball and handed it off to Deebo Samuel who continued running to his left before tossing it to the Sanders on the reverse. The trickery caught New Orleans off guard as Sanders scrambled for a second before throwing it to Raheem Mostert for an easy trot into the endzone.

On the last drive of the game, San Francisco had the ball with 39 seconds left on 4th and 2 down 46-45 on their own 33-yard line. Needing to get into field goal range Garoppolo threw a short pass to Kittle who ran for a first down dragging defenders with him and simultaneously drawing a face mask penalty that added on 15 yards to the play.  This set up the game winning 30-yard field goal by Robbie Gould.

San Francisco’s 11-2 record is tied for the league best with Baltimore and they are just one game ahead of the Seahawks who sit at 10-3 in the NFC West.

Nothing was more surprising than the Falcons victory over the Saints this week. A Super Bowl team just three seasons ago, the Falcons have been on a downhill spiral ever since. With records opposing each others the Falcons at 1-7 and the Saints at 7-1, it seemed like the game was decided before the whistle. Yet at everyone’s shock, the Falcons crushed the Saints. 

One would assume that because the Saints were coming off a bye week, they would be rested and ready to keep marching, but no. The Saints looked like a team who was confused and gone from action. Drew Brees was sacked six times which is ridiculous considering they had seven sacks their whole season. The Falcons looked like a new team. New Orleans committed 12 penalties, which is completely out of character. The Saints along with fans were surprised, but they aren’t giving up just yet. With many people still considering the Saints a Super Bowl-caliber team, there is enough confidence in the locker room to inspire more victories. 

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Next round, the New Orleans plays Tampa Bay, their Gulf coast neighbors and then Carolina. If the Saints want to be in that Super Bowl conversation, they have to go back to the drawing board and come back ready for Tampa Bay.

The New Orleans Saints pulled away with an impressive 36-25 road win against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The Saints played their fifth game without Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees. They are 5-0 in those contests, as backup Teddy Bridgewater has admirably held the fort in Brees’ absence. For Sunday’s game against the Bears, the Saints proved they could handle a bit more than just Brees’ absence.

New Orleans also without star running back Alvin Kamara, tight end Jared Cook and two promising young players in wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith and defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Without three of their most important offensive pieces and going against one of the NFL’s top defenses on the road, the Saints accumulated their highest single-game point total of the 2019 season.

With the help of an offense that kept the ball for a total of 38 minutes and 47 seconds, the Saints kept control of the game to bleed out a win against Chicago. With Brees set to return for next week’s game, the Saints are in prime position to continue this hot streak.

Chicago QB Mitch Trubisky has continued to regress in his third season, as he has looked lost on the field and the offense behind him has struggled mightily. Additionally, the defense is no longer forcing takeaways to give the Bears more opportunities.

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While last year, the Bears offense and defense were great and the special teams needed improvement, the exact opposite has been the case this year. Kicker Eddy Pineiro has been the cure to what ailed the Bears last year. Thus far, Pineiro has a 9-10 record on field goals and 11-11 on extra points. Kicking has been the only constant for Chicago this season.

“I feel good where I’m at,” Pineiro said. “I am hitting the ball well and just good snaps, good holds, yeah.”

The 3-3 Bears will host the 2-5 Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 27. The 6-1 Saints will go back home to greet the 3-3-1 Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 27.