Dennis Allen said that New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston would return to practice on Thursday, so it was a bit of a shock to see the team hit the field without No. 2. And Allen wasn’t around to explain his passer’s absence — the Saints head coach doesn’t have regular media availabilities on Thursdays, instead giving his offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. the opportunity to speak with the press after practice, along with co-defensive coordinators Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen.
So it fell to Carmichael to field questions on Winston’s status. Carmichael said that the team’s training staff met with Allen on Thursday morning and advised that resting Winston would be “the best decision for Jameis today. We’ll see where we stand tomorrow.” When asked if Winston would start in Sunday’s game with the Minnesota Vikings, Carmichael deferred to Allen.
Carmichael did add that Winston has been active everywhere but the practice field — he’s joined the other quarterbacks for regular meetings and film study sessions, working to get the mental reps he’d receive in a normal game week. He just hasn’t thrown a pass with his teammates in practice. The team is managing his reps on a daily basis as he continues to recover from a growing list of injuries; in addition to four fractured vertebrae and an ankle sprain, Winston said Wednesday that he’s also rehabbing a hip flexor issue.
If the team chooses to rest Winston for Week 4, it’ll likely be Andy Dalton getting the start. The veteran backup was signed for this exact purpose and he can be backed up by Taysom Hill and practice squad passer Jake Luton. Stay tuned.
