BYU

Brady Poppinga: Is it Taysom time in New Orleans?

Brady Poppinga, former BYU and Green Bay Packers linebacker said he believes Drew Brees is nearing the end of his career after Brees and the New Orleans Saints lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night. He told Ben Criddle that BYU fans can expect to see Taysom Hill get significant playing time for the Saints at some point this season with Brees on the sideline.

“When [Brett] Favre was retiring, people kept trying to convince him to come back and his response was, ‘Hey I’m just sick of getting hit.’ I can see that out of Drew Brees,” said Poppinga. “He’s sick of getting hit. Getting hit as a quarterback is so different from other positions because you’re a sitting duck. Over time it deteriorates your ability to play quarterback because it creates problems with timing.”

“We all know that’s why they signed Taysom to the big deal they did. They know eventually this year if they’re going to want to go somewhere, Taysom is going to have to step in and be that lightning rod.”

The Saints signed Hill to a two-year contract extension in April, worth $21 million overall with $16 million guaranteed. They also signed former Heisman Trophy winner and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Jameis Winston to a one-year deal worth $1.1 million.

Poppinga said Brees looks like he has lost a step, in general, this year, evident by his 6.9 yards per pass attempt through two games this season.

“The guy doesn’t want to go downfield; he doesn’t want to stretch the defense,” he said. “That’s because going downfield takes a little more patience in the pocket. He’s been dinking and dumping it and that just shows you that he’s not willing to stick in there and risk having to brace himself for a big hit.”

BYU fans may still need to wait a few weeks before seeing Hill’s role increase though and Brees will likely be given a long leash thanks to his tenure and history with the team.

“It’s going to take a couple of games because [head coach] Sean Payton has the utmost respect for Drew Brees, and it is a slap in the face to a Hall of Famer,” said Poppinga. “They’re going to give Drew Brees every chance to show that he can finish on a high note. They know who the guy is who is going to get things going, which is Taysom, but they’re going to give Drew every possible chance to see if he can get himself going. I don’t know if he will.”

Written by Bridger Beal

Bridger is a student at Utah Valley University where he studies journalism and mass communication. He is the sports editor of the on-campus newspaper, The Review. Bridger is a life-long Cougar fan and college football enthusiast.

Comments
To Top