No. 1 NFL team looking for a new franchise quarterback: New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are the only team on this list who didn’t draft their long-time quarterback. Drew Brees was a second-round pick by the San Diego Chargers in 2001 and signed with the Saints prior to the 2006 season. He’s remained with the Saints ever since, winning a Super Bowl, two Offensive Player of the Year awards, and making it to 13 Pro Bowls.
As good as Brees has been, he turns 42 in January and he’s experienced injuries the past two seasons. Naturally, the Saints should be looking to move on and find the successor to Brees. They’ve had an opportunity to see what Taysom Hill looks like as a starter this season and the end result hasn’t been great. It’s clear Hill isn’t the long-term solution.
The Saints aren’t going to have a high draft pick so it’ll be tricky for them to get a top-tier quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. They could opt to trade up or turn to free agency to get their next quarterback, but a lot of what they’re going to do hinges on Brees’ decision this offseason.
Yes, New Orleans needs to look for a quarterback no matter what, but Brees could decide to return for 2021. He’s under contract for next season and with how good the team looks this year, it’d make sense if he wanted to return in 2021 for one last shot at another Super Bowl title (assuming the Saints don’t win this season).
If the Saints draft a quarterback in the first round, it’d be the first time they’ve done so since 1971 when they took Archie Manning with the No. 2 overall pick. I’d say the Saints are due to break that streak.
These four teams have been fortunate to have the same quarterback for over 10 years, but it’s time to turn the page and find the next franchise quarterback.