There was no miracle escape for Jameis Winston this time, it appears he's done for the season after an injury suffered in the first half in Week 8.
Jameis Winston suffered a torn ACL, along with injuries to his MCL, Saints coach Sean Payton confirmed Monday afternoon. , and is expected to be out the rest of the season, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
The news comes the morning after the Saints defeated the Bucs 36-27 despite Winston leaving in the second quarter with the injury, with Trevor Siemian coming on in relief. The injury occurred after Winston escaped from the pocket on a scramble and was taken down from behind by Bucs linebacker Devin White. He was flagged for a horsecollar tackle on the play and penalized 15 yards.
The penalty that caused the injury was one of 11 on the day for the Bucs, which totaled 99 yards and was a key element in the Saints clinging on to the victory despite Tampa Bay's furious rally in the third quarter. The Bucs were penalized on a third-down play on the Saints' go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter, capped off by a Brian Johnson field goal.
The next question the Saints must answer is who will be under center with Winston absent. Saints coach Sean Payton said after the game that even had Taysom Hill been healthy and active, it'd have still been Siemian coming on in relief. That's how the Saints have operated in the past, including the 2020 season. When Brees left against the San Francisco 49ers with an injury last season, it was Winston who came on in relief and led the Saints to a victory. But Taysom Hill was named the starter for the full games missed by Brees. He started four games until Brees was able to return, starting with three wins before a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Hill has missed the last two games, which came after a bye week, due to a concussion suffered in the Week 5 victory over the Washington Football Team. The decision will likely come down to Hill, Siemian, or even rookie Ian Book.
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Whomever lands as the starter in Week 9, it's fair to be optimistic. Dating back to the 2019 season, the Saints are 10-2 in games finished by quarterbacks that weren't the opening day starter. That group includes Teddy Bridgewater, who went 5-0 in relief of Brees after a loss to the Rams in Week 2 of the 2019 season.
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