Saints Should Look to an Old Friend for QB Insurance

COVID-19 has whittled the New Orleans quarterback room to just one player headed into Monday's game against Miami. Could the Saints look to one of their former players to provide extra insurance at the position?

Author:
Bob Rose
Publish date:
Dec 23, 2021 5:45 PM EST

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are down to one quarterback before hosting the Miami Dolphins this Monday night. On Thursday, quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian were placed on the reserve/COVID list. Rookie QB Ian Book will get his first NFL start.

Book, a fourth-round selection out of Notre Dame this spring, has yet to play a single down this season. He's been inactive for over half of the Saints 14 games. The team has no other player listed at quarterback on the roster or practice squad.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Ian Book (16) during a training camp session. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY

Running back Alvin Kamara will likely be the emergency quarterback. Head coach Sean Payton indicated that earlier this year, when starter Jameis Winston went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Practice squad WR/RB Malcolm Perry may also be activated for Monday's game. Perry is in his second NFL season after catching 9 passes for 95 yards as a rookie with the Miami Dolphins. He was the starting quarterback in an option attack his senior year at the Naval Academy.

Perry completed 48 of 86 passes (55.8%) in 2019 for 1,084 yards with 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 13 games. He also rushed for 2,017 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 per carry.

Don't be surprised if the Saints sign a veteran quarterback before Monday's game to provide extra insurance.

The free-agent market for quarterbacks is exceptionally slim with quality players this time of year.

Here are some available names with at least a little NFL experience.

Blake Bortles
Robert Griffin III
DeShone Kizer
Matt Moore
Drew Stanton

Bortles was a backup for the Packers earlier this year. Kizer was on the Titans practice squad until his release in November. RGIII, Moore, and Stanton have not been on an NFL roster in 2021.

Another significant issue is that signing anyone three days before kickoff will make it next to impossible to learn the playbook adequately.

One answer for the Saints might lie on the practice squad of a division rival that they just defeated.

RYAN GRIFFIN

The 32-year-old Griffin was signed as an undrafted rookie in 2013 by New Orleans out of Tulane. Griffin served as the 3rd string quarterback for the Saints in 2013 behind Drew Brees and Luke McCown.

Griffin nearly beat out McCown for the backup job behind Brees in 2014 but served as third-string again. He was the odd-man-out of the New Orleans quarterback rotation in 2015. That offseason, the Saints had spent a third-round draft choice on QB Garrett Grayson.

Despite outplaying McCown in the 2015 preseason, the Saints elected to keep the more experienced McCown and develop Grayson behind Brees. Griffin signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after his release.

Ryan Griffin has been the backup to Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Tom Brady for the last seven years with the Buccaneers. He has appeared in just two regular-season games in his career, both in 2019, completing 2 of 4 passes for 18 yards.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Griffin (4) throws against the Tennessee Titans. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

After drafting QB Kyle Trask and signing veteran backup Blaine Gabbert, the Buccaneers released Griffin in training camp. He was re-signed to the team’s practice squad. As a reserve in 2020, he earned a Super Bowl ring.

The 6’5” and 210-Lb. Griffin knows Sean Payton and the Saints' offense better than any of the above names. It isn't an ideal situation, but Griffin seems the best suited to play in a pinch if the Saints 2021 season gets any stranger.