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The New Orleans Saints are on the outside looking in at the 2021-22 NFL playoff picture, and times are getting desperate. They will be starting former Notre Dame QB Ian Book on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins after Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian both went on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The team scrambled for QB options after Hill and Siemian went on the COVID list, and that even included a call to retired and future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. Saints beat writer Jeff Duncan is reporting Brees was the first person the Saints called as they considered their options.
Sean Payton called the former QB while he was in Hawaii with his family. Duncan is reporting Brees gave the idea “serious thought” but “[u]ltimately, Brees nixed the idea, in part, because on such short notice, he wasn’t 100% confident he would be able to make the throws necessary to successfully lead the offense. He didn’t want to short-change the Saints in such a critical game at such a critical time in their playoff run.”
The Saints are 7-7 and in ninth place, tied with the seventh place Vikings and eighth place Eagles. Minnesota holds the final wild card berth due to various tiebreaker advantages. New Orleans has a manageable schedule the final three weeks, but still needs help. The Saints face Miami, Carolina, and Atlanta in their final three games. Ian Book is an unknown as well and their playoff fate could be all but determined this weekend if Book comes up short.