METAIRIE (La.) New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has announced that Trevor Siemian will be the starting quarterback against the Atlanta Falcons. After recovering from a concussion, Payton stated that Taysom will also be playing a part.
Siemian, 29 years old, hasn't been a regular NFL starter since 2016, when he was 13-11 with Denver Broncos. Siemian, 29, has not been a regular starter in the NFL since he was 13-11 with the Denver Broncos from 2016 to 2017. He also stepped in for Winston, who was injured during New Orleans' victory over Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36-27.
Siemian entered the game in the second quarter, with the score tied at 7-7. He completed 16 of his 29 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown, and zero turnovers.
Payton explained that a lot of the concussion protocol is based on Trevor's performance last week. "Taysom was just coming out of the concussion protocol at that time. Each week will be different. We have a plan. This week we feel that it is a good one. And we will just kind of move from there."
Hill missed the three previous weeks due to a concussion he sustained in Week 5. He then began practicing Wednesday and Thursday on a limited basis. Payton didn't specify the extent of this concussion in his decision.
Hill will continue to play a key role in New Orleans' offense as a QB/RB/TE/WR.
The Saints (5-2), regardless of who is the quarterback, will continue to rely heavily on their stellar defense, run and offensive game. This has helped them get off the ground to a great start, despite being 31st in NFL passing yards per games (180.9).
Siemian minimized the emotional impact of his first start after more than two years.
"I have a lot confidence in myself to play. Although I wasn't sure when or if it would happen, I knew that I was ready. "And here we are," Siemian stated Friday. "So I expect that I will play well, just as everyone else on the team. This is my mentality.
It's not new to me. It's been quite a while. "But I have been playing as if I was gonna get another chance."
Payton and his teammates praised Siemian's calm demeanor, quick release and other qualities. Payton likened him to Ty Detmer, an ex-NFL quarterback who he coached early in his career.
"I noticed Trevor is just cool during camp. He is super chilled. He has a calm presence, Saints running back Alvin Kamara stated. He was that way when he entered the huddle on Sunday. He would have been playing all the time, you would think. He's a nice guy.
Tre'Quan Smith, a Saints receiver, said, "Oh, man. You can definitely tell that he's experience." He came into the game and truly shocked me. He was very comfortable in his pocket. He took some hits, but still gave the ball. This was amazing to me. He looked ready to play. There were no hiccups. He was ready to play.
Siemian was originally signed by the Saints from the Tennessee Titans' practice team last November in order to add depth to Drew Brees' injury. After Brees' retirement, he remained with the team.
The Broncos drafted the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder in the seventh round from Northwestern in 2015. He was their starter after Peyton Manning's retirement. In December 2017, he sustained a shoulder injury that ended his season before he was traded to Minnesota Vikings in the spring.
Siemian completed 514 of 870 passes (59%) over his career, for 5,848 yards with 31 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
