Who will replace Drew Brees as Saints' QB in 2021? Here's 4 options…

Hill will turn 31 before the start of the 2021 NFL season, and has thrown 18 passes in his NFL career. Though some of NFL Twitter doesn't want to acknowledge it, he absolutely is a valuable weapon in the swiss-army knife role where he does a little of everything for the Saints. It's fair, though, to wonder whether he'll be able to thrive as a starting quarterback. Sean Payton has compared Hill to Steve Young, and considering he's one of the best offensive minds of his era, we're inclined to give Payton a bit of leeway. The Saints also have Hill under contract for $10.7 million in 2020, which probably makes him the favorite. But considering how little quarterbacking he's actually done at the NFL level, and the injury risk of a bruising runner at the position, the Saints better pair him with a strong backup.

From here, it seems pretty unlikely that Winston will be the starting quarterback for the Saints in Week 1 of the 2021 season. Still, he's an immense talent, and if anyone is capable of fixing his interception problem, it's seemingly Payton. Winston almost certainly won't be guaranteed a starting job elsewhere, so if he gets the chance to return to New Orleans on another one-year deal in 2021, he should probably take it. A return to New Orleans may require him having patience, but it's not far-fetched to think that either Hill will get injured or just simply won't be that good. If Winston is in New Orleans next season, there's a very real chance he gets to start at some point. At best, he could seize the starting job and become the next franchise quarterback in New Orleans. It's also possible that he plays at a high level in a few starts, and that's enough to intrigue another team, which is what happened with Teddy Bridgewater.

The Lions are 3-5, setting up the very real possibility that both general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia are fired after the season. A new regime may want their own franchise quarterback - or even just their own bridge quarterback - opening up the possibility of the team moving on from Stafford after 12 seasons. There's long been a feeling that Stafford is one of the game's elite talents, one that hasn't truly been in position to show off his Hall of Fame-caliber production in Detroit. If you put him in New Orleans with an innovative offensive mind like Payton, it may be Stafford's best chance to win a Super Bowl. At 32, the clock is ticking on Stafford, but he could still play at a high level for another half decade. It's not especially difficult to imagine a rebuilding Lions team taking on the $19 million in dead cap money that it would take to trade Stafford. Whether the Saints will be in a position to absorb his salary in 2021 - even if he reworks his deal - is less clear.

Darnold is a former top-five pick that has had to deal with a disastrous organization around him, stifling his early development. A bout with mono and some injuries haven't helped either. In any event, if the Jets land the No. 1 pick - as they're on track to do - they'll definitely take Trevor Lawrence. Heck, even if they drop to the No. 2 pick, it's hard to believe they would pass on the chance to take Justin Fields. So in all likelihood, Darnold will be playing elsewhere next season. A trade for Darnold could leave the Saints thin on draft capital in 2021 - they may lose their fifth-round pick as part of the Kwon Alexander trade - but it would give them a chance to acquire a quarterback still on his rookie deal and make the decision about whether to exercise his fifth-year option. While the idea of Stafford playing under Payton is tantalizing, trading for Darnold or New York Giants' quarterback Daniel Jones may be more financial feasible.